My 


iilMRY 


-5-7r^ 


LORD  ORMONT  AND 
HIS   AMINTA 


BY 

GEORGE   MEREDITH 


NEW   YORK 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1894 


8  9  0  4     4 


'''^All  rir/Jita  reserved] 


COPYRIGHT,   1894,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


Norhjoot  Wxtes : 

J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith. 

Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


500^ 


«t*TE 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Love  at  a  School 1 

II.    Lady  Charlotte 24 

III.  The  Tutor 47 

IV.  Recognition 71 

V.    In    which    the    Shades    of    Browny    and 

Matey  advance  and  retire      ...  84 

VI.    In  a  Mood  of  Languor 102 

VII.     Exhibits  Effects  of  a  Prattler's  Doses  .  120 

VIIL    Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley       ....  131 

IX.    A  Flash  of  the  Bruised  Warrior       .        .  141 
X.     A  Short  Passage  in  the  Game  played  by 

Two 151 

XI.     The  Secretary  taken  as  an  Antidote       .  1.59 

Xn.    More  of  Cuper's  Boys 177 

XIII.  War  at  Olmer 196 

XIV.  Old  Lovers  New  Friends       ....  216 
XV.     Showing  a  Secret  fished  without  angling  227 

XVI.     Along  Two  Roads  to  Steignton  .        .        .  244 

XVII.     Lady  Charlotte's  Triumph    ....  258 

iii 


IV 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVIII.  A  Scene  on  the  Road  Back       .        .        .  274 

XIX.  The  Pursuers 285 

XX.  At  the  Sign  of  the  Jolly  Cricketers     .  297 

XXI.  Undercurrents    in    the    ]\Iinds   of   Lady 

Charlotte  and  Lord  Ormont          .        .  308 
XXII.  Treats   of   the   First   Day  of  the  Con- 
tention of  Brother  and  Sister     .        .  323 

XXIIL  The  Ormont  Jewels 332 

XXIV.  Lovers  mated 347 

XXV.  Preparations  for  a  Resolve      .        .        .  366 

XXVI.  Visits  of  Farewell 382 

XXVn.  A  Marine  Duet 400 

XXVIIL  The  Plighting 407 

XXIX.  Aminta  to  her  Lord 417 

XXX.  Conclusion 424 


LORD   ORMONT   AND 
HIS   AMINTA 


LORD    ORMONT    AND    HIS   AMINTA 


CHAPTER   I 

LOVE    AT    A    SCHOOL 

A  processio:n'  of  schoolboys  haying  to  meet  a  proces- 
sion of  schoolgirls  on  the  Sunday's  dead  march,  called 
a  walk,  ronnd  the  park,  could  hardly  go  by  without 
dropping  to  a  hum  in  its  chatter,  and  the  shot  of  incu- 
rious half-eyes  at  the  petticoated  creatures — all  so  much 
of  a  swarm  unless  you  stare  at  them  like  lanterns. 
The  boys  cast  a  glance  because  it  relieved  their  heavi- 
ness ;  things  were  lumpish  and  gloomy  that  day  of 
the  week.  The  girls,  who  sped  their  peep  of  inquisition 
before  the  moment  of  transit,  let  it  be  seen  that  they 
had  minds  occupied  with  thoughts  of  their  own. 

Our  gallant  fellows  forgot  the  intrusion  of  the 
foreign  body  as  soon  as  it  had  passed.  A  sarcastic 
discharge  was  jerked  by  chance  at  the  usher  and  the 
governess  —  at  the  old  game,  it  seemed ;  or  why  did 
they  keep  steering  the  columns   to   meet  ?     There  was 

B  1 


2  LOUD   ORMONT   AND    HIS    AMINTA 

no  fun  in  meeting ;  and  it  would  never  be  happening 
every  other  Sunday,  and  oftener,  by  sheer  toss-penny 
accident.  They  were  moved  like  pieces  for  the  pleasure 
of  these  two. 

Sometimes  the  meeting  occurred  twice  during  the 
stupid  march-out,  when  it  became  so  nearly  vexatious 
to  boys  almost  biliously  oppressed  by  the  tedium  of 
a  day  merely  allowing  them  to  shove  the  legs  along, 
and  ironically  naming  it  animal  exercise,  that  some 
among  them  pronounced  the  sham  variation  of  monot- 
ony to  be  a  bothering  nuisance  if  it  was  going  to 
happen  every  Sunday,  though  Sunday  required  diver- 
sions. They  hated  the  absurdity  in  this  meeting  and 
meeting;  for  they  were  obliged  to  anticipate  it,  as  a 
part  of  their  ignominious  weekly  performance ;  and  they 
could  not  avoid  reflecting  on  it,  as  a  thing  done  over 
again :  it  had  them  in  front  and  in  rear ;  and  it  was 
a  kind  of  broadside  mirror,  flashing  at  them  the  exact 
opposite  of  themselves  in  an  identically  similar  situa- 
tion, that  forced  a  resemblance. 

Touching  the  old  game,  Cuper's  fold  was  a  healthy 
school,  owing  to  the  good  lead  of  the  head  boy,  Matey 
Weyburn,  a  lad  with  a  heart  for  games  to  bring  renown, 
and  no  thought  about  girls.  His  emulation,  the  fellows 
fancied,  was  for  getting  the  school  into  a  journal  of  the 
Sports.  He  used  to  read  one  sent  him  by  a  sporting 
oflicer  of  his  name,  and  talk  enviously  of  public  schools, 
printed  whatever  they  did  —  a  privilege  and  dignity  of 


LOVE   AT   A   SCHOOL  6 

which  they  had  unrivalled  enjoyment  in  the  past  days, 
when  wealth  was  move  jealously  exclusive;  and  he  was 
always  prompting  for  challenges  and  saving  up  to  pay 
expenses;  and  the  fellows  were  to  laugh  at  kicks  and 
learn  the  art  of  self-defence  —  train  to  rejoice  in  whip- 
cord muscles.  The  son  of  a  tradesman,  if  a  boy  fell 
under  the  imputation,  was  worthy  of  honour  with  him, 
let  the  fellow  but  show  grip  and  toughness.  He  loathed 
a  skulker,  and  his  face  was  known  for  any  boy  who 
would  own  to  fatigue  or  confess  himself  beaten.  "Go 
to  bed,"  was  one  of  his  terrible  stings.  Matey  was  good 
at  lessons,  too  —  liked  them ;  liked  Latin  and  Greek  ; 
would  help  a  poor  stumbler. 

Where  he  did  such  good  work  was  in  sharpening  the 
fellows  to  excel.  He  kept  them  to  the  grindstone,  so 
that  they  had  no  time  for  rusty  brooding ;  and  it  was 
not  done  by  exhortations  off  a  pedestal,  like  St.  Paul 
at  the  Athenians.  It  breathed  out  of  him  every  day  of 
the  week.  He  carried  a  light  for  followers.  Whatever 
he  demanded  of  them,  he  himself  did  it  easily.  He 
would  say  to  boys,  "  You're  going  to  be  men,"  meaning 
something  better  than  women.  There  was  a  notion  that 
Matey  despised  girls.  Consequently,  never  much  es- 
teemed, they  were  in  disfavour.  The  old  game  Avas 
mentioned  only  because  of  a  tradition  of  an  usher  and 
governess  leering  sick  eyes  until  they  slunk  away  round 
a  corner  and  married,  and  set  up  a  school  for  themselves 
—  an  emasculate  ending.      Comment   on  it  came  of  a 


4  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS    AMINTA 

design  to  show  that  the  whole  game  had  been  examined 
and  dismissed  as  uninteresting  and  profitless. 

One  of  the  bo3's  alluded  in  Matey's  presence  to  their 
general  view  upon  the  part  played  by  womankind  on 
the  human  stage,  confident  of  a  backing ;  and  he  had  it, 
in  a  way  :  their  noble  chief  whisked  the  subject  as  not 
worth  a  discussion;  but  he  turned  to  a  younger  chap, 
who  said  he  detested  girls,  and  asked  him  how  about  a 
sister  at  home  ;  and  the  youngster  coloured,  and  Matey 
took  him  and  spun  him  round,  with  a  friendly  tap  on 
the  shoulder. 

Odd  remarks  at  intervals  caused  it  to  be  suspected 
that  he  had  ideas  concerning  girls.  They  were  high  as 
his  head  above  the  school ;  and  there  they  were  left, 
with  Algebra  and  Homer,  for  they  were  not  of  a  sort  to 
inflame ;  until  the  boys  noticed  how  he  gave  up  speak- 
ing, and  fell  to  hard  looking,  on  tlie  march  past  Miss 
Vincent's  young  ladies.  A  well-grown  girl  (calling  her- 
self young  lady)  made  usually  the  left  of  the  second 
couple  from  the  front  of  the  line  of  bonnets,  and  was 
by  consent  good-looking,  though  she  was  dark  enough 
to  get  herself  named  Browny.  In  the  absence  of  a  fair 
girl  of  equal  height  to  set  beside  her,  Browny  shone. 

She  had  a  nice  mouth,  ready  for  a  smile  at  the  cor- 
ners ;  or  so  it  was  before  Matey  let  her  see  that  she  was 
his  mark.  Now  she  kept  her  mouth  asleep  and  her 
eyes  half  down,  up  to  the  moment  of  her  uearing  to 
pass,  when  the  girl  opened  on  him,  as  if  lifting  her  eye- 


LOVE   AT   A   SCHOOL  O 

lids  from  sleep  to  the  window,  a  full  side-look,  like  a 
throb,  and  no  disguise  —  no  slyness  or  boldness  either, 
not  a  bit  of  languishing.  You  might  think  her  heart 
came  quietly  out. 

The  look  was  like  the  fall  of  light  on  the  hills  from 
the  first  of  morning.  It  lasted  half  a  minute,  and  left 
a  ruffle  for  a  good  half-hour.  Even  the  younger  fellows, 
without  knowing  what  affected  them,  were  moved  by  the 
new  picture  of  a  girl,  as  if  it  had  been  a  frontispiece  of 
a  romantic  story  some  day  to  be  read.  She  looked  com- 
pelled to  look,  but  consenting  and  unashamed ;  at  home 
in  submission ;  just  the  look  that  wins  observant  boys, 
shrewd  as  dogs  to  read  by  signs,  if  they  are  interested 
in  the  persons.  They  read  Browny's  meaning:  that 
Matey  had  only  to  come  and  snatch  her;  he  was  her 
master,  and  she  was  a  brave  girl,  ready  to  go  all  over 
the  world  with  him ;  had  taken  to  him  as  he  to  her, 
shot  for  shot.  Her  taking  to  the  pick  of  the  school  was 
a  capital  proof  that  she  was  of  the  right  sort.  To  be 
sure,  she  could  not  much  help  herself. 

Some  of  the  boys  regretted  her  not  being  fair.  But, 
as  they  felt,  and  sought  to  explain,  in  the  manner  of  the 
wag  of  a  tail,  with  elbows  and  eyebrows  to  one  another's 
understanding,  fair  girls  could  never  have  let  fly  such 
a  look ;  fair  girls  are  softer,  woollier,  and  when  they 
mean  to  look  serious,  overdo  it  by  craping  solemn ;  or 
they  pinafore  a  jigging  eagerness,  or  hoist  propriety  on 
a  chubby  flaxen  grin ;  or  else  they  dart  an  eye,  or  they 


b  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

mince  aud  prim  and  pout,  and  are  sigli-away  and  dying- 
ducky,  given  to  girls'  tricks.  Browny,  after  all,  was  the 
girl  for  Matey. 

She  won  a  victory  right  away  and  out  of  hand,  on 
behalf  of  her  cloud-and-moon  sisters,  as  against  the 
sunny-meadowy ;  for  slanting  intermediates  are  not 
espied  of  boys  in  anything :  conquered  by  Browny,  they 
went  over  to  her  colour,  equal  to  arguing,  that  Venus  at 
her  mightiest  must  have  been  dark,  or  she  Avould  not 
have  stood  a  comparison  with  the  forest  Goddess  of  the 
Crescent,  swanning  it  through  a  lake  —  on  the  leap  for 
the  run  of  the  chase  —  watching  the  dart,  with  her  hum- 
ming bow  at  breast.  The  fair  are  simple,  sugary  things, 
prone  to  fat,  like  bread-sops  in  milk ;  but  the  others  are 
milky  nuts,  good  to  bite,  Lacedaemonian  virgins,  hard  to 
beat,  putting  us  on  our  mettle ;  and  they  are  for  heroes, 
and  they  can  be  brave.  So  these  boys  felt,  conquered 
by  Browny.  A  sneaking  native  taste  for  the  forsaken 
side,  known  to  renegades,  hauled  at  them  if  her  image 
waned  during  the  week;  and  it  waned  a  little,  but 
Sunday  restored  and  stamped  it. 

By  a  sudden  turn  the  whole  upper-school  had  fallen  to 
thinking  of  girls,  and  the  meeting  on  the  Sunday  'sv^as  a 
prospect.  One  of  the  day-boarders  had  a  sister  in  the 
seminary  of  Miss  Vincent.  He  was  plied  to  obtain 
information  concerning  Browny's  name  and  her  parents. 
He  had  it  pat  to  hand  in  answer.  No  parents  came  to 
see   her ;    an   aunt   came   now  and   then.      Her  aunt's 


LOVE   AT    A    SCHOOL  7 

name  was  not  wanted.  Browny's  name  was  Aminta 
Farrell. 

Farrell  might  pass ;  Aminta  was  debated.  ■  This 
female  Christian  name  had  a  foreign  twang;  it  gave 
dissatisfaction.  Boy  after  boy  had  a  try  at  it,  with  the 
same  effect :  yon  could  not  speak  the  name  without  a 
pursing  of  the  mouth  and  a  puckering  of  the  nose, 
beastly  to  see,  as  one  little  fellow  reminded  them  on 
a  day  when  Matey  was  in  more  than  common  favour 
topping  a  pitch  of  rapture,  for  clean  boAvling,  first  ball, 
middle  stump  on  the  kick,  the  best  bat  of  the  other 
eleven  in  a  match ;  and,  says  this  youngster,  drawling, 
soon  after  the  cheers  and  claps  had  subsided  to  business, 
"  Aminta." 

He  made  it  funny  by  saying  it  as  if  to  himself  and  the 
ground,  in  a  subdued  way,  while  he  swung  his  leg  on  a 
half-circle,  like  a  skater,  hands  in  pockets.  He  was  a 
sly  young  rascal,  innocently  precocious  enough,  and  he 
meant  no  disrespect  either  to  Browny  or  to  Matey ;  but 
he  had  to  run  for  it,  his  delivery  of  the  name  being  so 
like  what  was  in  the  breasts  of  the  senior  felloAvs,  as  to 
the  inferiority  of  any  Aminta  to  old  Matey,  that  he  set 
them  laughing ;  and  Browny  was  on  the  field,  to  reprove 
them,  left  of  the  tea  booth,  with  her  schoolmates,  part 
of  her  head  under  a  scarlet  parasol. 

A  girl  with  such  a  name  as  Aminta  might  not  be 
exactly  up  to  the  standard  of  old  Matey,  still,  if  he 
thought  her  so  and  she  had  spirit,  the  school  was  bound 


8  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

to  subscribe;  and  that  look  of  hers  backed  her  for 
taking  her  share  in  the  story,  like  the  brigand's  wife 
loading  guns  for  him  while  he  knocks  over  the  foremost 
carabineer  on  the  mountain-ledge  below,  who  drops  on 
his  back  with  a  hellish  expression. 

Browny  was  then  clearly  seen  all  round,  instead  of 
only  front-face,  as  on  the  Sunday  in  the  park,  when 
fellows  could  not  spy  backward  after  passing.  The 
pleasure  they  had  in  seeing  her  all  round  involved  no 
fresh  stores  of  observation,  for  none  could  tell  how  she 
tied  her  back-hair,  which  was  the  question  put  to  them 
by  a  cynic  of  a  boy,  said  to  be  queasy  with  excess  of 
sisters.  They  could  tell  that  she  was  tall  for  a  girl,  or 
tallish  —  not  a  maypole.  She  drank  a  cup  of  tea,  and 
ate  a  slice  of  bread-and-butter ;  no  cake. 

She  appeared  undisturbed  when  Matey,  wearing  his 
holiday  white  ducks,  and  all  aglow,  entered  the  booth. 
She  was  not  expected  to  faint,  only  she  stood  for  the 
foreign  Aminta  more  than  for  their  familiar  Browny  in 
his  presence.  Not  a  sign  of  the  look  which  had  fired 
the  school  did  she  throw  at  him.  Change  the  colour 
and  you  might  compare  her  to  a  bolster  fixed  on  end, 
with  a  chin  and  no  eyes.  Matey  talked  to  Miss  Vincent 
up  to  the  instant  of  his  running  to  bat.  She  Avould  have 
liked  to  guess  how  he  knew  she  had  a  brother  on  the 
medical  staff  of  one  of  the  regiments  in  India:  she 
asked  him  twice,  and  his  cheeks  were  redder  than  cricket 
in  the  sun.     He  said  he  read  all  the  reports  from  India, 


LOVE   AT   A   SCHOOL  9 

and  asked  her  whether  she  did  not  admire  Lord  Ormont, 
our  general  of  cavalry,  whose  charge  at  the  head  of  fif- 
teen hundred  horse  in  the  last  great  battle  shattered  the 
enemy's  right  wing,  and  gave  us  the  victory  —  rolled 
him  up  and  stretched  him  out  like  a  carpet  for  dusting. 
Miss  Vincent  exclaimed  that  it  was  really  strange,  now, 
he  should  speak  of  Lord  Orniont,  for  she  had  been  speak- 
ing of  him  herself  in  the  morning  to  one  of  her  young 
ladies,  whose  mind  was  bent  on  liis  lieroical  deeds. 
Matey  turned  his  face  to  the  group  of  young  ladies, 
quite  pleased  that  one  of  them  loved  his  hero ;  and  he 
met  a  smile  here  and  there  —  not  from  Miss  Aminta 
Farrell.  She  was  a  complete  disappointment  to  the 
boys  that  day.  "  Aminta  "  was  mouthed  at  any  allusion 
to  her. 

So,  she  not  being  a  match  for  Matey,  they  let  her 
drop.  The  flush  that  had  swept  across  the  school 
withered  to  a  dry  recollection,  except  when  on  one  of 
their  Sunday  afternoons  she  fanned  the  desert.  Lord 
Ormont  became  the  su.bject  of  inquiry  and  conversation ; 
and  for  his  own  sake  —  not  altogether  to  gratify  Matey. 
The  Saturday  Autumn  evening's  walk  home,  after  the 
race  out  to  tea  at  a  distant  village,  too  late  in  the  year 
for  cricket,  too  early  for  regular  football,  suited  Matey, 
going  at  long  strides,  for  the  story  of  his  hero's  adven- 
tures ;  and  it  was  nicer  than  talk  about  girls,  and 
puzzling.  Here  lay  a  clear  field ;  for  he  had  the  right 
to  speak  of  a  cavalry  officer :  his  father  died  of  wounds 


10  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

in  the  service,  and  ]\[atey  naturallj^  intended  to  join  the 
Dragoons,  if  he  could  get  enough  money  to  pay  for  mess, 
he  said,  laughing.  Lord  Ormont  was  his  pattern  of  a 
warrior.  We  had  in  him  a  lord  who  cast  off  luxury  to 
live  like  a  Spartan  when  under  arms,  with  a  passion  to 
serve  his  country  and  sustain  the  glory  of  our  military 
annals.  He  revived  respect  for  the  noble  class  in  the 
hearts  of  Englishmen.  He  was  as  good  an  authority  on 
horseflesh  as  any  Englishman  alive ;  the  best  for  the 
management  of  cavalry:  there  never  was  a  better 
cavalry  leader.  The  boys  had  come  to  know  that 
Browny  admired  Lord  Orraont,  so  they  saw  a  double 
reason  why  Matey  should;  and  walking  home  at  his 
grand  swing  in  the  October  dusk,  their  school  hero  drew 
their  national  hero  closer  to  them. 

Every  fellow  present  was  dead  against  the  usher,  Mr. 
Shalders,  when  he  took  advantage  of  a  pause  to  strike  in 
with  his  ''  Murat ! " 

He  harped  on  Murat  whenever  he  had  a  chance.  Now 
he  did  it  for  the  purpose  of  casting  eclipse  upon  Major- 
General  Lord  Ormont,  the  son  and  grandson  of  English 
earls;  for  he  was  an  earl  b}'  his  title,  and  Murat  was 
the  son  of  an  innkeeper.  Shalders  had  to  admit  that 
Murat  might  have  served  in  the  stables  as  a  hoy. 
Honour  to  Murat,  of  course,  for  climbing  the  peaks ! 
Shalders,  too,  might  interest  himself  in  military  affairs 
and  Murat ;  he  did  no  harm,  and  he  could  be  amusing. 
It  rather  added  to  his  amount  of  dignity.     It  was  rather 


LOVE   AT   A    SCHOOL  11 

absurd,  at  the  same  time,  for  an  English  usher  to  be 
spouting  and  glowing  about  a  French  General,  who  had 
been  a  stables  boy  and  became  a  king,  with  his  Murat 
this,  Murat  that,  and  hurrah  Murat  in  red  and  white  and 
green  uniform,  tunic,  and  breeches,  and  a  chimney-afire 
of  feathers ;  and  how  the  giant  he  was  charged  at  the 
head  of  ten  thousand  horse,  all  going  like  a  cataract 
under  a  rainbow  over  the  rocks,  right  into  the  middle  of 
the  enemy  and  through ;  and  he  a  spark  ahead,  and  the 
enemy  streaming  on  all  sides  flat  away,  as  you  see  puffed 
smoke  and  flame  of  a  bonfire.  That  was  fun  to  set  boys 
jigging.  No  wonder  how  in  Russia  the  Cossacks  feared 
him,  and  scampered  from  the  shadow  of  his  plumes  — 
were  clouds  flying  off  his  breath  !  That  was  a  fine  warm 
picture  for  the  boys  on  late  Autumn  or  early  Winter 
evenings,  Shalders  warming  his  back  at  the  grate,  de- 
scribing bivouacs  in  the  snow.  They  liked  well  enough 
to  hear  him  when  he  was  not  opposing  Matey  and  Lord 
Ormont.  He  perked  on  his  toes,  and  fetched  his  hand 
from  behind  him  to  flourish  it  when  his  Murat  came  out. 
The  speaking  of  the  name  clapped  him  on  horseback  — 
the  only  horseback  he  ever  knew.  He  was  as  fond  of 
giving  out  the  name  Murat  as  you  see  in  old  engravings 
of  tobacco-shops  men  enjoying  the  emission  of  their 
whiff  of  smoke. 

Matey  was  not  inclined  to  class  Lord  Ormont  alongside 
Murat,  a  first-rate  horseman  and  an  eagle-eye,  as  Shalders 
rightly  said;  and  Matey  agreed  that  forty  thousand  cav- 


12  LOBD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

airy  under  your  orders  is  a  toss  above  fifteen  hundred; 
but  the  claim  for  a  Frenchman  of  a  superlative  merit 
to  swallow  and  make  nothing  of  the  mention  of  our 
best  cavalry  Generals  irritated  him  to  call  Murat  a 
mountebank. 

Shalders  retorted,  that  Lord  Orinont  was  a  reprobate. 

Matey  hoped  he  would  some  day  write  us  an  essay 
on  the  morals  of  illustrious  Generals  of  cavalry;  and 
Shalders  told  him  he  did  not  advance  his  case  by  talk- 
ing nonsense. 

Each  then  repeated  to  the  boys  a  famous  exploit  of 
his  hero.  Their  verdict  was  favourable  to  Lord  Ormont. 
Our  English  General  learnt  riding,  before  he  was  ten 
years  old,  on  the  Pampas,  where  you  ride  all  day,  and 
cook  your  steak  for  your  dinner  between  your  seat  and 
your  saddle.  He  rode  with  his  father  and  his  uncle, 
Muncastle,  the  famous  traveller,  into  Paraguay.  He  saw 
fighting  before  he  was  twelve.  Before  he  was  twenty  he 
was  learning  outpost  duty  in  the  Austrian  frontier  cav- 
alry. He  served  in  the  Peninsula,  served  in  Canada, 
served  in  India,  volunteered  for  any  chance  of  distinc- 
tion. No  need  to  say  much  of  his  mastering  the  picked 
Indian  swordsmen  in  single  combat :  he  knew  their  trick, 
and  was  quick  to  save  his  reins  when  they  made  a  dash 
threatening  the  head-stroke  —  about  the  same  as  dis- 
abling sails  in  old  naval  engagements. 

That  was  the  part  for  the  officer;  we  are  speaking  of 
the  General.     For  that  matter,  he  had  as   keen  an  eye 


LOVE  AT   A  SCHOOL  13 

for  tlie  field  and  the  moment  for  his  arm  to  strike  as  any 
Murat.  One  would  have  liked  to  see  Murat  matched 
against  the  sabre  of  a  wily  Rajpoot !  As  to  campaigns 
and  strategy,  Lord  Ormont's  head  was  a  map.  What  of 
Murat  and  Lord  Ormont  horse  to  horse  and  sword  to 
sword  ?  Come,  imagine  that,  if  you  are  for  comparisons. 
And  if  Lord  Ormont  never  headed  a  lot  of  thousands,  it 
does  not  prove  he  was  unable.  Lord  Ormont  was  as  big 
as  Murat.  More,  he  was  a  Christian  to  his  horses.  How 
about  Murat  in  that  respect  ?  Lord  Ormont  cared  for 
his  men:  did  Murat  so  particularly  much?  And  he 
was  as  cunning  fronting  odds,  and  a  thunderbolt  at  the 
charge.  Why  speak  of  him  in  the  past  ?  He  is  an  Eng- 
lish lord,  a  lord  by  birth,  and  he  is  alive ;  things  may  be 
expected  of  him  to-morrow  or  next  day. 

Shalders  here  cut  Matey  short  by  meanly  objecting  to 
that. 

"  Men  are  mortal,"  he  said,  with  a  lot  of  pretended 
sti;ff,  deploring  our  human  condition  in  the  elegy  strain ; 
and  he  fell  to  reckoning  the  English  hero's  age  —  as  that 
he,  Lord  Ormont,  had  been  a  name  in  the  world  for  the 
last  twenty-five  years  or  more.  The  noble  lord  could 
be  no  chicken.  We  are  justified  in  calculating,  by  the 
course  of  nature,  that  his  term  of  activit}^  is  approach- 
ing, or  lias  approached,  or,  in  fact,  has  drawn  to  its 
close. 

"  If  your  estimate,  sir,  approaches  to  correctness,"  re- 
joined Matey  —  tellingly,  his  comrades  thought. 


14  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  Sixty,  as  you  may  learn  some  day,  is  a  serious  age, 
Matthew  Weyburn." 

Matey  said  he  should  be  happy  to  reach  it  with  half 
the  honours  Lord  Ormont  had  won. 

"Excepting  the  dnels,"  Shalders  had  the  impudence 
to  say. 

"  If  the  cause  is  a  good  one !  "  cried  Matey. 

"  The  cause,  or  Lord  Ormont  has  been  maligned,  was 
reprehensible  in  the  extremest  degree."  Shalders  cock- 
horsed  on  his  heels  to  his  toes  and  back  with  a  bang. 

"  What  was  the  cause,  if  you  please,  sir  ?  "  a  boy,  prob- 
ably naughty,  inquired ;  and,  as  Shalders  did  not  vouch- 
safe a  reply,  the  bigger  boys  knew. 

They  revelled  in  the  devilish  halo  of  skirts  on  the 
whirl  encircling  Lord  Ormont's  laurelled  head. 

That  was  a  spark  in  their  blood  struck  from  a  dislike 
of  the  tone  assumed  by  Mr.  Shalders  to  sustain  his  argu- 
ment ;  with  his  "  men  are  mortal,"  and  talk  of  a  true 
living  champion  as  "  no  chicken,"  and  the  wordy  drawl 
over  "justification  for  calculating  the  approach  of  a  close 
to  a  term  of  activity  "  —  in  the  case  of  a  proved  hero ! 

Guardians  of  boys  should  make  sure  that  the  boys  are 
on  their  side  before  they  raise  the  standard  of  virtue. 
Nor  ought  they  to  summon  morality  for  support  of  a 
polemic.  Matey  Weyburn's  object  of  worship  rode  su- 
perior to  a  morality  puffing  its  phrasy  triunpet.  And, 
somehow,  the  sacrifice  of  an  enormous  number  of  women 
to  Lord  Ormont's  glory  seemed  natural ;  the  very  thing 


LOVE  AT   A   SCHOOL  l6 

that  should  be,  in  the  case  of  a  first-rate  military  hero 
and  commander  —  Scipio  notwithstanding.  It  brightens 
his  flame,  and  it  is  agreeable  to  them.  That  is  how  they 
come  to  distinction :  they  have  no  otlier  chance ;  they 
are  only  women ;  they  are  mad  to  be  singed,  and  they  rush 
pell-mell,  all  for  the  honour  of  the  candle. 

Shortly  after  this  discussion  Matey  was  heard  inform- 
ing some  of  the  bigger  fellows  he  could  tell  them  posi- 
tively that  Lord  Orinont's  age  was  under  fifty-four  —  the 
prime  of  manhood,  and  a  jolly  long  way  off  death !  The 
greater  credit  to  him,  therefore,  if  he  had  been  a  name 
in  the  world  for  anything  like  the  period  Shalders  insin- 
uated, "  to  get  himself  out  of  a  sad  quandary."  Matey 
sounded  the  queer  word  so  as  to  fix  it  sticking  to  the 
usher,  calling  him  Mr.  Peter  Bell  Shalders,  at  which  the 
boys  roared,  and  there  was  a  question  or  two  about 
names,  which  belonged  to  verses,  for  people  caring  to 
read  poems. 

To  the  joy  of  the  school  he  displayed  a  greater  Iniowl- 
edge  of  Murat  than  Shalders  had :  named  the  different 
places  in  Europe  where  Lord  Ormont  and  Murat  were 
both  springing  to  the  saddle  at  the  same  time  —  one  a 
Marshal,  the  other  a  lieutenant ;  one  a  king,  to  be  off  his 
throne  any  day,  the  other  a  born  English  nobleman, 
seated  firm  as  fate.  And  he  accused  Murat  of  careless- 
ness of  his  horses,  ingratitude  to  his  benefactor,  circussy 
style.  Shalders  went  so  far  as  to  defend  Murat  for 
attending  to  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  instead  of  gal- 


16  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

loping  over  hedges  and  ditches  to  swell  Napoleon's 
ranks  in  distress.  Matey  listened  to  him  there ;  he  be- 
came grave ;  he  nodded  like  a  man  saying,  "  I  suppose 
we  must  examine  it  in  earnest."  The  school  was  damped 
to  hear  him  calling  it  a  nice  question.  Still,  he  said  he 
thought  he  should  have  gone ;  and  that  settled  it. 

The  boys  inclined  to  speak  contemptuously  of  Shald- 
ers.  Matey  would  not  let  them  ;  he  contrasted  Shalders 
with  the  other  ushers,  who  had  no  enthusiasms.  He  said 
enthusiasms  were  salt  to  a  man ;  and  he  liked  Shalders 
for  spelling  at  his  battles  and  thinking  he  understood 
them,  and  admiring  Murat,  and  reading  Virgil  and  parts 
of  Lucan  for  his  recreation.  He  said  he  liked  the  French 
because  they  could  be  splendidly  enthusiastic.  He 
almost  lost  his  English  flavour  when  he  spoke  in  down- 
right approval  of  a  small  French  fellow,  coming  from 
Orthez,  near  the  Pyrenees,  for  senselessly  dashing  and 
kicking  at  a  couple  of  English  who  jeered  to  hear  Orthez 
named  —  a  place  trampled  under  Wellington's  heels, 
on  his  march  across  conquered  France.  The  foreign 
little  cockerel  was  a  clever  lad,  learning  English  fast, 
and  anxious  to  show  he  had  got  hold  of  the  English 
trick  of  not  knowing  when  he  was  beaten.  His  French 
vanity  insisted  on  his  engaging  the  two,  though  one  of 
them  stood  aside,  and  the  other  let  him  drive  his  nose 
all  the  compass  round  at  a  poker  fist.  What  was  worse, 
Matey  examined  these  two,  in  the  interests  of  fair  play, 
as  if  he  doubted. 


LOVE   AT   A   SCHOOL  It 

Little  Emile  Grenat  set  matters  right  with  his  boast 
to  vindicate  his  country  against  double  the  number,  and 
Matey  praised  him,  though  he  knew  Emile  had  been 
floored  without  effort  by  the  extension  of  a  single  fist. 
He  would  not  hear  the  French  abused  ;  he  said  they 
were  chivalrous,  they  were  fine  fellows,  topping  the 
world  in  some  things  ;  his  father  had  fought  them  and 
learnt  to  respect  them.  Perhaps  his  father  had  learnt 
to  respect  Jews,  for  there  was  a  boy  named  Abner,  he 
protected,  who  smelt  Jewish ;  he  said  they  ran  us  Gen- 
tiles hard,  and  carried  big  guns. 

Only  a  reputation  like  Matey's  could  have  kept  his 
leadership  from  a  challenge.  Joseph  Masner,  formerly 
a  rival,  went  about  hinting  and  shrugging ;  all  to  no 
purpose,  you  find  boys  born  to  be  chiefs.  On  the  day 
of  the  snow-fight  Matey  won  the  toss,  and  chose  J. 
Masner,  first  pick ;  and  Masner,  aged  seventeen  and 
some  months,  big  as  a  navvy,  lumbered  across  to  him 
and  took  his  directions,  proud  to  stand  in  the  front 
centre,  at  the  head  of  the  attack,  and  bear  the  brunt  — 
just  what  he  was  fit  for.  Matey  gave  no  offence  by 
choosing,  half-way  down  the  list,  his  little  French 
friend,  whom  he  stationed  beside  himself,  rather  off  his 
battle-front,  as  at  point  at  cricket,  not  (piite  so  far  re- 
moved. Two  boys  at  his  heels  piled  ammunition.  The 
sides  met  midway  of  a  marshy  ground,  where  a  couple 
of  flat  and  shelving  banks,  formed  for  a  broad  new  road, 
good  for  ten  abreast  (counting  a  step  of  the  slopes),  ran 
c 


18  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMTNTA 

transverse ;  and  the  order  of  the  game  was  to  clear  the 
bank  and  drive  the  enemy  on  to  the  frozen  ditch-water. 
Miss  Vincent  heard  in  the  morning  from  the  sister  of  little 
Collett  of  the  great  engagement  coming  off;  she  was 
moved  by  curiosity,  and  so  the  young  ladies  of  her  es- 
tablishment beheld  the  young  gentlemen  of  Mr.  Cuper's 
in  furious  division,  and  Matey's  sure  aim  and  hard  fling, 
equal  to  a  slinger's,  relieving  J.  Masner  of  a  foremost 
assailant  with  a  spanker  on  the  nob.  They  may  have 
fancied  him  clever  for  selecting  a  position  rather  com- 
fortable, as  things  went,  until  they  had  sight  of  him 
with  his  little  French  ally  and  two  others,  ammunition 
boys  to  rear,  descending  one  bank  and  scaling  another 
right  into  the  flank  of  the  enemy,  when  his  old  tower  of 
a  Masner  was  being  heavily  pressed  by  numbers.  Then 
came  a  fight  hand  to  hand,  but  the  enemy  stood  in  a 
clamp;  not  to  split  like  a  nut  between  crackers,  they 
gave  way  and  rolled,  backing  in  lumps  from  bank  to 
ditch. 

The  battle  was  over  before  the  young  ladies  knew. 
They  wondered  to  see  Matey  shuffling  on  his  coat  and 
hopping  along  at  easy  bounds  to  pay  his  respects  to 
Miss  Vincent,  near  whom  was  Browny ;  and  this  time 
he  and  Browny  talked  together.  He  then  introduced 
little  Emile  to  her.  She  spoke  of  Napoleon  at  Brienne, 
and  complimented  Matey.  He  said  he  was  cavalry,  not 
artillery,  that  day.  They  talked  to  hear  one  another's 
voices.     By  constantly   appealing   to  INIiss   Vincent   he 


LOVE  AT  A  SCHOOL  19 

made  their  conversation  together  seem  as  under  her 
conduct;  and  she  took  a  slide  on  some  French  phrases 
with  little  Emile.  Her  young  ladies  looked  shrinking 
and  envious  to  see  the  fellows  wet  to  the  skin,  laughing, 
wrestling,  linking  arms ;  and  some,  who  were  clown- 
faced  with  a  wipe  of  scarlet,  getting  friends  to  rub 
their  cheeks  with  snow,  all  of  them  happy  as  larks  in 
air,  a  big  tea  steaming  for  them  at  the  school.  Those 
girls  had  a  leap  and  a  fall  of  the  heart,  glad  to  hug 
themselves  in  their  dry  clothes,  and  not  so  warm  as 
the  dripping  boys  were,  nor  so  madly  fond  of  their 
dress-circle  seats  to  look  on  at  a  play  they  were  not 
allowed  even  to  desire  to  share.  They  looked  on  at 
blows  given  and  taken  in  good  temper,  hardship  sharp- 
ening jollity.  The  thought  of  the  difference  between 
themselves  and  the  boys  must  have  been  something 
like  the  tight  band  —  call  it  corset  —  over  the  chest, 
trying  to  lift  and  stretch  for  draiights  of  air.  But 
Browny's  feeling  naturally  was,  that  all  this  advantage 
for  the  boys  came  of  Matey  Weyburn's  lead. 

Miss  Vincent  with  her  young  ladies  walked  off  in 
couples,  orderly  chicks,  the  usual  Sunday  march  of 
their  every  day.  The  school  was  coolish  to  them;  one 
of  the  fellows  hummed  bars  of  some  hymn  tune,  rather 
faster  than  church ;  and  next  day  there  was  a  murmur 
of  letters  passing  between  Matey  and  Browny  regu- 
larly, little  Collett  for  postman.  Anybody  might  have 
guessed  it,  but  the  report  spread   a   feeling  that  girls 


20  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS  AMINTA 

are  not  the  entirely  artificial  beings  or  flat  targets  we 
suppose.  The  school  began  to  brood,  like  air  deadening 
on  oven-heat.  Winter  is  hen-mother  to  the  idea  of  love 
in  schools,  if  the  idea  has  fairly  entered.  Various 
girls  of  different  colours  were  selected  by  boys  for  an 
animated  correspondence  that  never  existed  and  was 
vigorously  prosecuted,  with  efforts  to  repress  contempt 
of  them  in  courtship  for  their  affections.  They  found 
their  part  of  it  by  no  means  difficult  when  they  imagined 
the  lines  without  the  words,  or,  better  still,  the  letter 
without  the  lines.  A  holy  satisfaction  belonged  to  the 
sealed  thing ;  the  breaking  of  the  seal  and  inspection 
of  the  contents  imposed  perplexity  on  that  sentiment. 
They  thought  of  certain  possible  sentences  Matey  and 
Browny  would  exchange ;  but  the  plain,  conceivable, 
almost  visible,  outside  of  the  letter  had  a  stronger 
spell  for  them  than  the  visionary  inside.  This  fancied 
comtemplation  of  the  love-letter  was  reversed  in  them 
at  once  by  the  startling  news  of  Miss  Vincent's  discov- 
ery and  seizure  of  the  sealed  thing,  and  her  examination 
of  the  burden  it  contained.  Then  their  thirst  was  for 
drama  —  to  see,  to  drink  every  wonderful  syllable  those 
lovers  had  written. 

Miss  Vincent's  hand  was  upon  one  of  Matey's  letters. 
She  had  come  across  the  sister  of  little  Collett,  Selina 
her  name  was,  carrying  it.  She  saw  nothing  of  the 
others.  Aminta  was  not  the  girl  to  let  her.  Nor  did 
Mr.  Cuper  dare  demand  from  Matey  a  sight  or  restitu- 


LOVE  AT   A   SCHOOL  21 

tion  of  the  young  lady's  half  of  the  correspondence. 
He  preached  heavily  at  Matey ;  deplored  that  the  boy  he 
most  trusted,  etc.  —  the  school  could  have  repeated  it 
without  hearing.  We  know  the  master's  lecture  in 
tones  —  it  sings  up  to  sing  down,  and  touches  nobody. 
As  soon  as  he  dropped  to  natural  talk,  and  spoke  of 
his  responsibility  and  Miss  Vincent's,  Matey  gave  the 
word  of  a  man  of  honour  that  he  would  not  seek  to 
communicate  further  with  Miss  Farrell  at  the  school. 
Now  there  was  a  regular  thunder-hush  among  the 
boys  on  the  rare  occasions  when  they  met  the  girls. 
All  that  Matey  and  Browny  were  forbidden  to  write 
they  looked  —  much  like  what  it  had  been  before  the 
discovery ;  and  they  dragged  the  boys  back  from  prom- 
ised instant  events.  It  was,  nevertheless,  a  heaving 
picture,  like  the  sea  in  the  background  of  a  marine 
piece  at  the  theatre,  which  rouses  anticipations  of 
storm,  and  shows  readiness.  Browny's  full  eyebrow 
sat  on  her  dark  eye  like  a  cloud  of  winter  noons  over 
the  vanishing  sun.  Matey  was  the  prisoner  gazing  at 
light  of  a  barred  window  and  measuring  the  strength 
of  the  bars.  She  looked  unhappy,  but  looked  unbeaten 
more.  Her  look  at  him  fed  the  school  on  thoughts 
of  what  love  really  is,  when  it  is  not  fished  out  of  books 
and  poetry.  For  though  she  was  pale,  starved  and  pale, 
they  could  see  she  was  never  the  one  to  be  sighing ;  and 
as  for  him,  he  looked  ground  down  all  to  edge.  How- 
ever much   they  puzzled  over   things,  she   made   them 


22  LORD   ORMOKT   AISTD   HIS   AMINTA 

feel  they  were  sure,  as  to  her,  that  she  drove  straight 
and  meant  blood,  the  life  or  death  of  it :  all  her  own, 
if  need  be,  and  confidence  in  the  captain  she  had 
chosen.  She  could  have  been  imagined  saying,  There's 
a  storm,  but  I  am  ready  to  embark  with  you  this  minute. 

That  sign  of  courage  in  real  danger  ennobled  her 
among  girls.  The  name  BroAvny  was  put  aside  for  a 
respectful  Aminta.  Big  and  bright  events  to  come  out 
in  the  world  were  hinted,  from  the  love  of  such  a 
couple.  The  boys  were  not  ashamed  to  speak  the  very 
word  love.  How  he  does  love  that  girl !  Well,  and 
how  she  loves  him !  She  did,  but  the  boys  had  to  be 
seeing  her  look  at  Matey  if  they  were  to  put  the  girl 
on  some  balanced  equality  with  a  fellow  she  was  com- 
pelled to  love.  It  seemed  to  them  that  he  gave,  and 
that  she  was  a  creature  carried  to  him,  like  driftwood 
along  the  current  of  the  flood,  given,  in  spite  of  herself. 
When  they  saw  those  eyes  of  hers  they  were  impressed 
with  an  idea  of  her  as  a  voluntary  giver  too ;  pretty 
Avell  the  half  to  the  bargain ;  and  it  confused  their 
notion  of  feminine  inferiority.  They  resolved  to  think 
her  an  exceptional  girl,  which,  in  truth,  they  could 
easily  do,  for  none  but  an  exceptional  girl  could  win 
Matey  to  love  her. 

Since  nothing  appeared  likely  to  happen  at  the  school, 
they  speculated  upon  what  would  occur  out  in  the 
world,  and  were  assisted  to  conjecture  by  a  rumour, 
telling  of  Aminta  Farrell's  aunt  as  a  resident  at  Dover. 


LOVE   AT   A   SCHOOL  23 

Those  were  days  when  the  benevolently  international 
M.  de  Porquet  had  begun  to  act  as  interpreter  to  English 
schools  in  the  portico  of  the  French  language;  and 
under  liis  guidance  it  was  asked,  in  contempt  of  the 
answer,  Combien  de  pastes  cVici  d,  Douvres?  But,  ac- 
cepting the  rumour  as  a  piece  of  information,  the 
answer  became  important.  Ici  was  twenty  miles  to 
the  north-west  of  London.  How  long  would  it  take 
Matey  to  reach  Douvres  ?  Or  at  which  of  the  combien 
did  he  intend  to  waylay  and  away  with  Aminta.  The 
boys  went  about  pounding  at  the  interrogative  French 
phrase  in  due  sincerity,  behind  the  burlesque  of  trav- 
eller bothering  coachman.  Matey's  designs  could  be 
guessed  only  by  a  knowledge  of  his  character:  that 
he  was  not  the  fellow  to  give  up  the  girl  he  had  taken 
to ;  and  impediments  might  multiply ;  but  he  would 
bear  them  down.  Three  days  before  the  break-up  of 
the  school  another  rumour  came  tearing  through  it: 
Aminta's  aunt  had  withdrawn  her  from  Miss  Vincent's. 
And  now  rose  the  question,  two-dozen-mouthed.  Did 
Matey  know  her  address  at  Douvres  ?  His  face  grew 
stringy  and  his  voice  harder,  and  his  eyes  read}^  to 
burst  from  a  smother  of  fire.  All  the  same  he  did 
his  work :  he  was  the  good  old  fellow  at  games,  con- 
siderate in  school  affairs,  kind  to  the  youngsters;  he 
was  heard  to  laugh.  He  liked  best  the  company  of  his 
little  French  friend  from  Orthez,  over  whose  shoulder 
his  hand  was  laid  sometimes  as  they  strolled  and  chat- 


24  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ted  in  two  languages.  He  really  went  a  long  way  to 
make  French  fellows  popular,  and  the  boys  were  sorry 
that  little  ]lSmile  was  off  to  finish  his  foreign  education 
in  Germany.  His  English  was  pretty  good,  thanks  to 
Matey.  He  went  away,  promising  to  remember  old 
England,  saying  he  was  French  first,  and  a  Briton 
next.  He  had  lots  of  pluck ;  which  accounted  for 
Matey's  choice  of  him  as  a  friend  among  the  juniors. 


CHAPTER  II 

LADT    CHARLOTTE 


Love-passages  at  a  school  must  produce  a  ringing 
crisis  if  they  are  to  leave  the  rosy  impression  which 
spans  the  gap  of  holidays.  Neither  Matey  nor  Browny 
returned  to  their  yoke,  and  Cuper's  boys  recollected  the 
couple  chiefly  on  Sundays.  They  remembered  several 
of  Matey's  doings  and  sayings  :  his  running  and  high 
leaping,  his  bowling,  a  maxim  or  two  of  his,  and  the 
tight  strong  fellow  he  was ;  also  that  the  damsel's  colour 
distinctly  counted  for  dark.  She  became  nearly  black 
in  their  minds.  Well,  and  Englishmen  have  been  known 
to  marry  Indian  princesses :  some  have  a  liking  for 
negresses.  There  are  Nubians  rather  pretty  in  pictures, 
if  you  can  stand  thick  lips.  Her  colour  does  not  matter, 
provided  the  girl  is  of  the  right  sort.     The  exchange  of 


LADY  CHARLOTTE  25 

letters  between  the  lovers  was  mentioned.  The  dis- 
covery by  Miss  Vincent  of  their  cool  habit  of  correspond- 
ing passed  for  an  incident ;  and  there  it  remained,  stiff 
as  a  post,  not  being  heated  by  a  story  to  run.  So  the 
foregone  excitement  lost  warmth,  and  went  out  like  a 
winter  sun  at  noon  or  a  match  lighted  before  the  candle 
is  handy. 

Lord  Ormont  continued  to  be  a  subject  of  discussion 
from  time  to  time,  for  he  was  a  name  in  the  newspapers ; 
and  Mr.  Shalders  had  been  worked  by  Matey  Weyburn 
into  a  state  of  raw  antagonism  at  the  mention  of  the  gal- 
lant General;  he  could  not  avoid  sitting  in  judgment 
on  him. 

According  to  Mr.  Shalders,  the  opinion  of  all  thought- 
ful people  in  England  was  with  John  Company  and  the 
better  part  of  the  Press  to  condemn  Lord  Ormont  in  his 
quarrel  with  the  Commissioner  of  one  of  the  Indian 
provinces,  who  had  the  support  of  the  Governor  of  his 
Presidency  and  of  the  Viceroy ;  the  latter  not  unreserv- 
edly, yet  ostensibly  inclined  to  condemn  a  too  prompt 
military  hand.  The  Gordian  knot  of  a  difficulty  cut  is 
agreeable  in  the  contemplation  of  an  official  chief  hesitat- 
ing to  use  the  sword  and  benetiting  by  having  it  done 
for  him.     Lord  Ormont  certainly  cut  the  knot. 

Mr.  Shalders  was  cornered  by  the  boys,  coming  at  him 
one  after  another  without  a  stop,  vowing  it  was  the  ex- 
ercise of  a  military  judgment  upon  a  military  question 
at  a  period  of  urgency,  which  had  brought  about  the 


26  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

quarrel  with  the  Commissioner  and  the  reproof  of  the 
Governor.  He  betrayed  the  man  completely  cornered 
by  generalising.     He  said,  — 

"  We  are  civilian  people ;  we  pride  ourselves  on  having 
civilian  methods." 

"How  can  that  be  if  we  have  won  India  with  guns 
and  swords  ?  " 

"But  that  splendid  jewel  for  England's  tiara  won," 
said  he  (and  he  might  as  well  have  said  crown),  "we  are 
bound  to  sheathe  the  sword  and  govern  by  the  Book  of 
the  Law." 

"  But  if  they  won't  have  the  Book  of  the  Law  ! " 

"  They  know  the  power  behind  it ! " 

"Not  if  we  knock  nothing  harder  than  the  Book  of 
the  Law  upon  their  skulls." 

"  Happily  for  the  country,  England's  councils  are  not 
directed  by  boys  !  " 

"Ah,  but  we're  speaking  of  India,  Mr.  Shalders." 

"You  are  presuming  to  speak  of  an  act  of  insubordi- 
nation committed  by  a  military  officer  under  civilian 
command." 

"  What  if  we  find  an  influential  Indian  prince  engaged 
in  conspiracy  ?  " 

"  We  look  for  proof." 

"  Suppose  we  have  good  proof  ?  " 

"  We  summon  him  to  exonerate  himself." 

"  No,  we  mount  and  ride  straight  away  into  his  terri- 
tory, spot  the  treason,  deport  him,  and  rule  in  his  place !" 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  27 

It  was  all  very  well  for  Mr.  Shalders  to  say  he  talked 
to  boys ;  he  was  cornered  again,  as  his  shrug  confessed. 

The  boys  asked  among  themselves  whether  he  would 
have  taken  the  same  view  if  his  Murat  had  done  it ! 

These  illogical  boys  fought  for  Matey  Weyburn  in 
their  defence  of  Lord  Ormont.  Somewhere,  they  were 
sure,  old  Matey  was  hammering  to  the  same  end  —  they 
could  hear  him.  Thought  of  him  inspired  them  to  un- 
wonted argumentative  energy,  that  they  might  support 
his  cause,  and  scatter  the  gloomy  prediction  of  the 
school,  as  going  to  the  dogs  now  Matey  had  left. 

The  subject  provoked  everywhere  in  Great  Britain 
a  division  similar  to  that  between  master  and  boys  at 
Cuper's  establishment:  one  party  for  our  modern  Eng- 
lish magisterial  methods  Avith  Indians,  the  other  for  the 
decisive  Oriental  at  the  early  time,  to  suit  their  native 
tastes ;  and  the  Book  of  the  Law  is  to  be  conciliatingly 
addressed  to  their  sentiments  by  a  benign  civilising 
Power,  or  the  sword  is  out  smartly  at  the  hint  of  a  warn- 
ing to  protect  the  sword's  conquests.  Under  one  aspect 
we  appear  potteringly  European;  under  another,  drunk 
of  the  East.  Lord  Ormont's  ride  at  the  head  of  two 
hundred  horsemen  across  a  stretch  of  country  including 
hill  and  forest,  to  fall  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue  on  the 
suspected  Prince  in  the  midst  of  his  gathering  warriors, 
was  a  handsome  piece  of  daring,  and  the  high-handed 
treatment  of  the  Prince  was  held  by  his  advocates  to  be 
justified  by  the  provocation  and  the  result.    He  scattered 


28  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

an  unprepared  body  of  many  hundreds,  who  might  have 
enveloped  him,  and  who  would  presumptively  have  stood 
their  ground,  had  they  not  taken  his  handful  to  be  the 
advance  of  regiments.  These  are  the  deeds  that  win 
empires  !  the  argument  in  his  favour  ran.  Are  they  of 
a  character  to  maintain  empire  ?  the  counter-question 
was  urged.  Men  of  a  deliberative  aspect  were  not  want- 
ing in  approval  of  the  sharp  and  summary  of  the  sword 
in  air  when  we  have  to  deal  with  Indians  .  They  chose 
to  regard  it  as  a  matter  of  the  dealing  with  Indians,  and 
put  aside  the  question  of  the  contempt  of  civil  authority. 
Counting  the  cries.  Lord  Ormont  won  his  case.  Festival 
aldermen,  smokin»g  clubmen,  buckskin  squires,  obsequi- 
ous yet  privately  excitable  tradesmen,  sedentary  coach- 
men and  cabmen,  of  Viking  descent,  were  set  to  think 
like  boys  about  him :  and  the  boys,  the  women,  and  the 
poets  formed  a  tipsy  chorus.  Journalists,  on  the  whole, 
were  fairly  halved,  as  regarded  numbers.  In  relation  to 
weight,  they  were  with  the  burgess  and  the  presbyter : 
they  preponderated  heavily  in  the  direction  of  England's 
burgess  view  of  all  cases  disputed  between  civilian  and 
soldier.     But  that  was  when  the  peril  was  over. 

Admirers  of  Lord  Ormont  enjoyed  a  perusal  of  a 
letter  addressed  by  him  to  the  burgess's  journal ;  and 
so  did  his  detractors.  The  printing  of  it  was  an  act 
of  editorial  ruthlessness.  The  noble  soldier  had  no 
mould  in  his  intellectual  or  educational  foundry  for 
the  casting  of  sentences ;  and  the  editor's  leading  type 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  29 

to  the  letter,  without  further  notice  of  the  writer  — 
who  was  given  a  prominent  place  or  scaffolding  for 
the  execution  of  himself  publicly,  if  it  pleased  him  to 
do  that  thing  —  tickled  the  critical  mind.  Lord  Orniont 
wrote  intemperately. 

His  Titanic  hurling  of  blocks  against  critics  did  no 
harm  to  an  enemy  skilled  in  the  use  of  trimmer 
weapons,  notably  the  fine  one  of  letting  big  missiles 
rebound.  He  wrote  from  India,  with  Indian  heat  — 
"curry  and  capsicums,"  it  was  remarked.  He  dared 
to  claim  the  countenance  of  the  Commander-in-chief 
of  the  Army  of  India  for  an  act  disapproved  by  the 
India  House.  Other  letters  might  be  on  their  way, 
curryer  than  the  preceding,  his  friends  feared;  and 
might  also  be  malevolently  printed,  similarly  commis- 
sioning the  reverberation  of  them  to  belabour  his  name 
before  the  public.  Admirers  were  still  prepared  to 
admire ;  but  aldermen  not  at  the  feast,  squirearchs 
not  in  the  saddle  or  at  the  bottle,  some  few  of  the 
juvenile  and  female  fervent,  were  becoming  susceptible 
to  a  frosty  critical  tone  in  the  public  pronunciation  of 
Lord  Ormont's  name  since  the  printing  of  his  letter 
and  the  letters  it  called  forth.  None  of  them  doubted 
that  his  case  was  good.  The  doubt  concerned  the  effect 
on  it  of  his  manner  of  pleading  it.  And  if  he  damaged 
his  case,  he  compromised  his  admirers.  Why,  the  case 
of  a  man  who  has  cleverly  won  a  bold  stroke  for  his 
coiuitry  must  be  good,  as  long  as  he  holds  his  tongue. 


30  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS   AMINTA 

A  grateful  country  will  right  him  in  the  end :  he  has 
only  to  wait,  and  not  so  very  long.  "  This  I  did :  now 
examine  it."  Nothing  more  needed  to  be  said  by  him, 
if  that. 

True,  he  has  a  temper.  It  is  owned  that  he  is  a 
hero.  We  take  him  with  his  qualities,  iinpetuosity 
being  one,  and  not  unsuited  to  his  arm  of  the  service, 
as  he  has  shown.  If  his  temper  is  high,  it  is  an  element 
of  a  character  proved  heroical.  So  has  the  sun  his 
blotches,  and  we  believe  that  they  go  to  nourish  the 
luminary,  rather  than  that  they  are  a  disease  of  the 
photosphere. 

Lord  Ormont's  apologists  had  to  contend  with  anec- 
dotes and  dicta  now  pouring  in  from  offended  Britons, 
for  illustration  of  an  impetuosity  lit  to  make  another 
Charles  XII.  of  Sweden  —  a  gratuitous  Coriolanus 
haughtiness  as  well,  new  among  a  people  accustomed 
socially  to  bow  the  head  to  their  nobles,  and  not,  of 
late,  expecting  a  kick  for  their  pains.  Newspapers 
wrote  of  him  that,  ''  a  martinet  to  subordinates,  he  was 
known  for  the  most  unruly  of  lieutenants."  They  al- 
luded to  current  sayings,  as  that  he  "  habitually  took 
counsel  of  his  horse  on  the  field  when  a  movement  was 
entrusted  to  his  discretion."  Numerous  were  the  jour- 
nalistic sentences  running  under  an  air  of  eulogy  of  the 
lordly  warrior  purposely  to  be  tripped,  and  producing 
their  damnable  effect,  despite  the  obvious  artifice.  The 
writer  of  the  letter  from  Bombay,  signed  Ormont,  was 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  31 

a  born  subject  for  the  antithetical  craftmen's  tricky- 
springes. 

He  was,  additionally,  of  infamous  repute  for  morals 
in  burgess  estimation,  from  his  having  a  keen  apprecia- 
tion of  female  beauty  and  a  prickly  sense  of  masculine 
honour.  The  stir  to  his  name  roused  pestilential  domes- 
tic stories.  In  those  days  the  aristocrat  still  claimed 
licence,  and  eminent  soldier-nobles,  comporting  them- 
selves as  imitative  servants  of  their  god  Mars,  on  the 
fields  of  love  and  war,  stood  necessarily  prepared  to 
vindicate  their  conduct  on  the  field  of  the  measured 
paces,  without  deeming  themselves  bounden  to  defend 
the  course  they  took.  Our  burgess,  who  bowed  head 
to  his  aristocrat,  and  hired  the  soldier  to  fight  for  him, 
could  not  see  that  such  misbehaviour  necessarily  ensued. 
Lord  Ormont  had  fought  duels  at  home  and  abroad. 
His  readiness  to  fight  again,  and  against  odds,  and  with 
a  totally  unused  weapon,  was  exhibited  by  his  attack  on 
the  Press  in  the  columns  of  the  Press.  It  wore  the 
comical  face  to  the  friends  deploring  it,  which  belongs 
to  things  we  do  that  are  so  very  like  us.  They  agreed 
with  his  devoted  sister,  Lady  Charlotte  Eglett,  as  to 
the  prudence  of  keeping  him  out  of  England  for  a  time, 
if  possible. 

At  the  first  perusal  of  the  letter,  Lady  Charlotte 
quitted  her  place  in  Leicestershire,  husband,  horses, 
guests,  the  hunt,  to  scour  across  a  vacant  London  and 
pick  up  acquaintances  under  stress  to  be  spots  there  in 


32  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

the  hunting  season,  with  them  to  gossip  for  counsel  on 
the  subject  of  "  Ormont's  hand-grenade,"  and  how  to 
stop  and  extinguish  a  second.  She  was  a  person  given 
to  plain  speech.  "Stinkpot"  she  called  it,  when 
acknowledging  foul  elements  in  the  composition  and 
the  harm  it  did  to  the  unskilful  balist.  Her  view  of 
the  burgess  English  imaged  a  mighty  monster  behind 
bars,  to  whom  we  offer  anything  but  our  hand.  As  soon 
as  he  gets  hold  of  that  he  has  you ;  he  won't  let  it  loose 
with  flesh  on  the  bones.  We  must  offend  him — we 
can't  be  man  or  woman  without  offending  his  tastes 
and  his  worships ;  but  while  we  keep  from  contact  {i.e. 
intercommunication)  he  may  growl,  he  is  harmless. 
Witness  the  many  occasions  when  her  brother  offended 
worse,  and  had  been  unworried,  only  growled  at,  and 
distantly,  not  in  a  way  to  rouse  concern ;  and  at  the 
next  review,  or  procession  into  the  City,  or  public  dis- 
play of  any  sort,  Ormont  had  but  to  show  himself,  he 
was  the  popular  favourite  immediately.  He  had  not 
committed  the  folly  of  writing  a  letter  to  a  newspaper 
then. 

Lady  Charlotte  paid  an  early  visit  to  the  office  of 
the  great  London  solicitor,  Arthur  Abner,  who  wielded 
the  Law  as  an  instrument  of  protection  for  countless 
illustrious  people  afflicted  by  what  they  stir  or  attract 
in  a  wealthy  metropolis.  She  went  simply  to  gossip 
of  her  brother's  affairs  with  a  refresliing  man  of  the 
world,  not  given  to  circnniloeutions,  and  not  afraid  of 


LADY  CHARLOTTE  33 

her :  she  had  no  deeper  object ;  but  fancying  she  heard 
the  clerk,  on  his  jump  from  the  stool,  inform  her  that 
Mr.  Abner  was  out,  "  Out  ?  "  she  cried,  and  rattled  the 
room,  thumping,  under  knitted  brows.  "  Out  of  town  ?  " 
For  a  man  of  business  taking  holidays,  when  a  lady 
craves  for  gossip,  disappointed  her  faith  in  him  as 
cruelly  as  the  shut-up,  empty  inn  the  broken  hunter 
knocking  at  a  hollow  door  miles  off  home. 

Mr.  Abner,  hatted  and  gloved  and  smiling,  came  forth. 
"'Going  out,'  the  man  meant.  Lady  Charlotte.  At  your 
service  for  five  minutes." 

She  complimented  his  acuteness  in  the  remark,  "  You 
see  I've  only  come  to  chat,"  and  entered  his  room. 

He  led  her  to  her  theme :  "  The  excitement  is  pretty 
well  over." 

"  My  brother's  my  chief  care  —  always  was.  I'm 
afraid  he'll  be  pitchforking  at  it  again,  and  we  shall 
have  another  blast.  That  letter  ought  never  to  have 
been  printed.  That  editor  deserves  the  horsewhip  for 
letting  it  appear.  If  he  prints  a  second  one  I  shall 
treat  him  as  a  personal  enemy." 

"  Better  make  a  friend  of  him." 

''How?" 

"Meet  him  at  my  table." 

She  jumped  an  illumined  half-about  on  her  chair. 
"  So  I  will,  then.     What  are  the  creature's  tastes  ?  " 

"Hunting  will  do." 

"  Hunts,  does  he  ? "     The   editor    rose   in   her   mind 

D 


34  LOED   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

from  the  state  of  neuter  to  something  of  man.  "I 
recollect  an  article  in  that  paper  on  the  Ormont  duel. 
1  hate  duelling,  but  I  side  with  my  brother.  I  had  to 
laugh,  though.  Luckily,  there's  no  woman  on  hand  at 
present,  as  far  as  I  know.  Ormont's  not  likely  to  be 
hooked  by  garrison  women  or  blacks.  Those  coloured 
women  —  some  of  ours  too  —  send  the  nose  to  the 
clouds ;  not  a  bad  sign  for  health.  And  there  are  men 
like  that  old  Cardinal  Guicciardini  tells  of  .  .  .  hum ! 
Ormont's  not  one  of  them.  I  hope  he'll  stay  in 
India  till  this  blows  over,  or  I  shall  be  hearing  of 
provocations." 

"  You  have  seen  the  Duke  ?  " 

She  nodded.  Her  reserve  was  a  summary  of  the 
interview.  "Kind,  as  he  always  is,"  she  said.  "  Ormont 
has  no  chance  of  employment  unless  there's  a  European 
war.  They  can't  overlook  him  in  case  of  war.  He'll 
have  to  pray  for  Miat." 

"Let  us  hope  we  sha'n't  get  it." 

"My  wish;  but  I  have  to  think  of  my  brother.  If 
he's  in  England  with  no  employment,  he's  in  a  mess 
with  women  and  men  both.  He  kicks  if  he's  laid  aside 
to  rust.  He  has  a  big  heart.  That's  what  I  said :  all 
he  wants  is  to  serve  his  country.  If  you  won't  have 
war,  give  him  Gibraltar  or  Malta,  or  command  of  one  of 
our  military  districts.  The  South-eastern'll  be  vacant 
soon.  He'd  like  to  be  Constable  of  the  Castle,  and 
have  an  eye  on  France." 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  36 

«I  think  he's  fond  of  the  French?" 

"Loves  the  French.  Expects  to  have  to  fight  them 
all  the  same.  He  loves  his  country  best.  Here's  the 
man  everybody's  abusing !  " 

"  I  demur,  my  lady.  I  was  dining  the  other  day  with 
a  client  of  mine,  and  a  youngster  was  present  who  spoke 
of  Lord  Ormont  in  a  way  I  should  like  you  to  have 
heard.  He  seemed  to  know  the  whole  of  Lord  Ormont's 
career,  from  the  time  of  the  ride  to  Paraguay  up  to  the 
capture  of  the  plotting  Kajah.     He  carried  the  table." 

"  Good  boy !  We  must  turn  to  the  boys  for  justice, 
then.     Name  your  day  for  tins  man,  this  editor." 

"I  will  see  him.     You  shall  have  the  day  to-night." 

Lady  Charlotte  and  the  editor  met.  She  was  racy, 
he  anecdotal.  Stag,  fox,  and  hare  ran  before  them,  over 
fields  and  through  drawing-rooms:  the  scent  was  rich. 
They  found  that  they  could  talk  to  one  another  as  they 
thought;  that  he  was  not  the  Isle-bound  burgess,  nor 
she  the  postured  English  great  lady ;  and  they  ex- 
changed salt,  without  which  your  current  scandal  is  of 
exhausted  savour.  They  enjoyed  the  peculiar  novel 
relish  of  it,  coming  from  a  social  pressman  and  a  dame 
of  high  society.  The  different  hemispheres  became 
known  as  one  sphere  to  these  birds  of  broad  wing  con- 
vening in  the  upper  blue  above  a  quartered  carcase  earth. 

A  week  later  a  letter,  the  envelope  of  a  bulky  letter 
in  Lord  Ormont's  handwriting,  reached  Lady  Charlotte. 
There  was  a  single  line  from  the  editor  : 


36  LOED   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AJVHNTA 

"Would  it  please  your  ladyship  to  have  this  printed?" 

She  read  the  letter,  and  replied : 

"  Come  to  me  for  six  days;  you  shall  have  the  best 
mount  in  the  county.'^ 

An  editor  devoid  of  malice  might  probably  have  for- 
borne to  print  a  letter  that  appealed  to  Lady  Charlotte, 
or  touched  her  sensations,  as  if  a  glimpse  of  the  moon, 
on  the  homeward  ride  in  winter  on  a  nodding  horse,  had 
suddenly  bared  to  view  a  precipitous  quarry  within  two 
steps.  There  is  no  knowing:  few  men  can  forbear  to 
tell  a  spicy  story  of  their  friends  ;  and  an  editor,  to 
whom  an  exhibition  of  the  immensely  preposterous  on 
the  part  of  one  writing  arrogantly  must  be  provocative, 
would  feel  the  interests  of  his  journal,  not  to  speak  of 
the  claims  of  readers,  pluck  at  him  when  he  meditated 
the  consignment  of  such  a  precious  composition  to 
extinction.  Lady  Charlotte  withheld  a  sight  of  the 
letter  from  IMr.  Eglett.  She  laid  it  in  her  desk,  under- 
standing well  that  it  was  a  laugh  lost  to  the  world. 
Poets  could  reasonably  feign  it  to  shake  the  desk  inclos- 
ing it.  She  had  a  strong  sense  of  humour ;  her  mind 
reverted  to  the  desk  in  a  way  to  make  her  lips  shut 
grimly.     She  sided  with  her  brother. 

Only  pen  in  hand  did  he  lay  himself  open  to  the 
enemy.  In  his  personal  intercourse  he  was  the  last  of 
men  to  be  taken  at  a  disadvantage.  Lady  Charlotte  was 
brought  roTintl  to  the  distasteful  idea  of  some  help  com- 
ing from  a  ligitimate  adjunct  at  his  elbow  :  a  restraining 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  37 

woman  —  wife,  it  had  to  be  said.  And  to  name  the 
word  wife  for  Thomas  Rowsley,  Earl  of  Ormont,  pixt 
up  the  porcupine  quills  she  bristled  with  at  the  survey 
of  a  sex  thirsting,  and  likely  to  continue  thirsting,  for 
such  honour.  What  woman  had  she  known  fit  to  bear 
the  name  ?  She  had  assumed  the  judicial  seat  upon  the 
pretensions  of  several,  and  dismissed  them  to  their 
limbo,  after  testifying  against  them.  Who  is  to  know 
the  fit  one  in  these  mines  of  deception  ?  Women  of  the 
class  offering  wives  decline  to  be  taken  on  trial ;  they 
are  boxes  of  puzzles  —  often  dire  surprises.  Her 
brother  knew  them  well  enough  to  shy  at  the  box.  Her 
brother  Rowsley  had  a  funny  pride,  like  a  boy  at  a 
game,  at  the  never  having  been  caught  by  one  among 
the  many  he  made  captive.  She  let  him  have  it  all  to 
himself. 

He  boasted  it  to  a  sister  sharing  the  pride  —  exultant 
in  the  cry  of  the  hawk,  scornful  of  ambitious  poultry,  a 
passed  finger-post  to  the  plucked,  and  really  regretful 
that  no  woman  had  been  created  fit  for  him.  When  she 
was  not  siding  with  her  brother,  women,  however  con- 
temptible for  their  weakness,  appeared  to  her  as  better 
than  barn-door  fowl,  or  vermin  in  their  multitudes 
gnawing  to  get  at  the  cheese-trap.  She  could  be 
humane,  even  sisterly,  with  women  whose  conduct  or 
prattle  did  not  outrage  plain  sense,  just  as  the  stickler 
for  the  privileges  of  her  class  was  large-heartedly  chari- 
table to  the  classes   flowing   in  oily   orderliness   round 


38  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

about  below  it  —  if  they  did  so  flow.  Unable  to  read 
woman's  character,  except  upon  the  broadest  lines,  as  it 
were  the  spider's  main  threads  of  its  web,  she  read  men 
minutely,  from  the  fact  that  they  were  neither  mysteries 
nor  terrors  to  her,  but  creatures  of  importunate  appe- 
tites, humorous  objects ;  very  manageable,  if  we  leave 
the  road  to  their  muscles,  dress  their  wounds,  smoothe 
their  creases,  plume  their  vanity  ;  and  she  had  an  unerr- 
ing eye  for  the  man  to  be  used  when  a  blow  was  needed, 
methods  for  setting  him  in  action  likewise.  She  knew 
how  much  stronger  than  ordinary  men  the  woman  who 
can  put  them  in  motion.  They  can  be  set  to  serve  as 
pieces  of  cannon,  under  compliments  on  their  superior 
powers,  which  were  not  all  undervalued  by  her  on  their 
own  merits,  for  she  worshipped  strength.  But  she  said, 
with  a  certain  amount  of  truth,  that  the  women  unaware 
of  the  advantage  Society  gave  them  (as  to  mastering 
men)  were  fools. 

Tender  is  not  a  word  coming  near  to  Lady  Charlotte. 
Thoughtful  on  behalf  of  the  poor  foolish  victims  of  men 
she  was.  She  had  saved  some,  avenged  others.  It 
should  be  stated  that  her  notion  of  saving  was  the 
saving  of  them  from  the  public :  she  had  thrown  up 
a  screjn.  The  saving  of  them  from  themselves  was 
another  matter — hopeless,  to  her  thinking.  How  preach 
at  a  creature  on  the  bend  of  passion's  rapids !  One 
might  as  well  read  a  chapter  from  the  Bible  to  delirious 
patients.     When  once  a  woman  is  taken  with  the  love- 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  39 

passion,  we  must  treat  her  as  bitten;  hide  her  antics 
from  the  public :  that  is  the  principal  business.  If  she 
recovers,  she  resumes  her  place,  and  horrid  old  Nature, 
who  drove  her  to  the  frenzy,  is  unlikely  to  bother  or, 
at  least,  overthrow  her  again,  unless  she  is  one  of  the 
detestable  wantons,  past  compassion  or  consideration. 
In  the  case  reviewed,  the  woman  has  gone  through  fire, 
and  is  none  the  worse  for  her  experiences  :  worth  ten 
times  what  she  was  to  an  honest  man,  if  men  could  be 
got  to  see  it.  Some  do.  Of  those  men  who  do  not. 
Lady  Charlotte  spoke  with  the  old  family-nurse  humour, 
which  is  familiar  with  the  tricks  and  frailties  of  the 
infants ;  and  it  is  a  knife  to  probe  the  male,  while 
seemingly  it  does  the  part  of  the  napkin  —  pities  and 
pats.  They  expect  a  return  of  much  for  the  little  that 
is  next  to  nothing.  They  are  full  of  expectations :  and 
of  what  else  ?     They  are  hard  bargainers. 

She  thought  this  of  men  ;  and  she  liked  men  by  choice. 
She  had  an  old  nurse's  preference  for  the  lustier  male 
child.  The  others  are  pulling  things,  easier  to  rear, 
because  they  bend  better;  and  less  esteemed,  though 
they  give  less  trouble,  rouse  less  care.  But  when  it 
came  to  the  duel  between  the  man  and  the  woman,  her 
sense  of  justice  was  moved  to  join  her  with  the  party 
of  her  unfairly  handled  sisters  —  a  strong  party,  if  it 
were  not  so  cowardly,  she  had  to  think. 

Mr.  Eglett,  her  husband,  accepted  her  —  accepted  the 
position  into  which  ho  naturally  fell  beside  her,  and  the 


40  LORD   ORlVrONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ideas  she  imposed  on  him ;  for  she  never  went  counter 
to  his  principles.  These  were  the  fixed  principles  of 
a  very  wealthy  man,  who  abhorred  debt,  and  was  punc- 
tilious in  veracity,  scrupulous  in  cleanliness  of  mind  and 
body,  devoted  to  the  honour  of  his  country,  the  interests 
of  his  class.  She  respected  the  high  landmark  possess- 
ing such  principles,  and  she  was  therefore  enabled  to 
lead  without  the  wish  to  rule.  As  it  had  been  between 
them  at  the  beginning,  so  it  was  now,  when  they  were 
grandparents  running  on  three  lines  of  progeny  from 
two  daughters  and  a  son :  they  were  excellent  friends. 
Few  couples  can  say  more.  The  union  was  good  Eng- 
lish grey  —  that  of  a  prolonged  November,  to  which  we 
are  reconciled  by  occasions  for  the  hunt  and  the  gun. 
She  was,  nevertheless,  an  impassioned  woman.  The 
feeling  for  her  brother  helped  to  satisfy  her  heart's 
fires,  though  as  little  with  her  brother  as  with  her 
husband  was  she  demonstrative.  Lord  Ormont  dis- 
relished the  caresses  of  relatives. 

She,  for  her  part,  had  so  strong  a  sympathy  on  behalf 
of  poor  gentlemen  reduced  to  submit  to  any  but  a  young 
woman's  hug,  that  when,  bronzed  from  India,  he  quitted 
the  carriage  and  mounted  her  steps  at  Olmer,  the  desire 
to  fling  herself  on  his  neck  and  breast  took  form  in  the 
words :  "  Here  you  are  home  again,  Rowsley ;  glad  to 
have  you."     They  shook  hands  firmly. 

He  remained  three  days  at  Olmer.  His  temper  was 
mild,  his  frame  of  mind  bad  as  could  be.     Angry  evapo- 


LADY  CHARLOTTE  41 

rations  had  left  a  residuum  of  solid  scorn  for  these 
"  English "  who  rewarded  soldierly  services  as  though 
it  were  a  question  of  damaged  packages  of  calico.  He 
threatened  to  take  the  first  offer  of  a  foreign  State  "  not 
in  insurrection."  But  clear  sky  was  overhead.  He  was 
.the  Kowsley  of  the  old  boyish  delight  in  field  sports, 
reminiscences  of  prowlings  and  trappings  in  the  woods, 
gropiugs  along  water-banks,  enjoyment  of  racy  gossip. 
He  spoke  wrathfully  of  "  one  of  their  newspapers " 
which  steadily  persisted  in  withholding  from  publication 
every  letter  he  wrote  to  it,  after  printing  the  first. 
And  if  it  printed  one,  why  not  the  others  ? 

Lady  Charlotte  put  it  on  the  quaintness  of  editors. 

He  had  found  in  London,  perhaps,  reason  for  saying 
that  he  should  do  well  to  be  "  out  of  this  country  "  as 
early  as  he  could ;  adding,  presently,  that  he  meant  to 
go,  though  "  it  broke  his  heart  to  keep  away  from  a  six 
months'  rest  at  Steignton,"  his  Wiltshire  estate. 

No  woman  was  in  the  field.  Lady  Charlotte  could 
have  submitted  to  the  intrusion  of  one  of  those  at  times 
wholesome  victims,  for  the  sake  of  the  mollification  the 
unhappy  proud  thing  might  bring  to  a  hero  smarting 
under  injustice  at  the  hands  of  chiefs  and  authorities. 

He  passed  on  to  Steignton,  returned  to  London,  and 
left  England  for  Spain,  as  he  wrote  word,  saying  he 
hoped  to  settle  at  Steignton  next  year.  He  was  absent 
the  next  year,  and  longer.  Lady  Charlotte  had  the 
surprising  news  that  Steignton  was  let,  shooting  and  all, 


42  LOKD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

for  five  years ;  and  he  had  no  appointment  out  of  Eng- 
land or  at  liome.  When  he  came  to  Olmer  again  he  was 
under  one  of  his  fits  of  reserve,  best  undisturbed.  Her 
sympathy  with  a  great  soldier  snubbed,  an  active  man 
rusting,  kept  her  from  remonstrance. 

Three  years  later  she  was  made  meditative  by  the 
discovery  of  a  woman's  being  absolutely  in  the  field, 
mistress  of  the  field,  and  having  been  there  for  a  con- 
siderable period,  dating  from  about  the  time  when  he 
turned  his  back  on  England  to  visit  a  comrade-in-arms 
condemned  by  the  doctors  to  pass  the  Winter  in  Malaga; 
and  it  was  a  young  woman,  a  girl  in  her  teens,  a  hand- 
some girl.  Handsome  was  to  be  expected;  Ormont 
bargained  for  beauty.  But  report  said  the  girl  was  very 
handsome,  and  showed  breeding :  she  seemed  a  foreigner, 
walked  like  a  Goddess,  sat  her  horse  the  perfect 
Amazon.     Rumour  called  her  a  Spaniard. 

"  Not  if  she  rides !  "     Lady  Charlotte  cut  that  short. 

Rumour  had  subsequently  more  to  say.  The  reporter 
in  her  ear  did  not  confirm  it,  and  she  was  resolutely 
deaf  to  a  story  incredible  of  her  brother  —  the  man,  of 
all  men  living,  proudest  of  his  name,  blood,  station.  So 
proud  was  he  by  nature,  too,  that  he  disdained  to  com- 
plain of  rank  injustice ;  he  maintained  a  cheerful  front 
against  adversity  and  obloquy.  And  this  man  of  com- 
plete self-command,  who  has  every  form  of  noble  pride, 
gets  cajoled  like  a  twenty-year-old  yahoo  at  college! 
Do  you  imagine  it?     To  suppose  of  a  man  cherishing 


LADY   CHAKLOTTE  43 

the  name  of  Ormont,  that  he  would  bestow  it  legally 
on  a  woman,  a  stranger,  and  imperil  his  race  by  mixing 
blood  with  a  creature  of  unknown  lineage,  was  —  why, 
of  course,  it  was  to  suppose  him  struck  mad,  and  there 
never  had  been  madness  among  the  Ormonts  :  they  were 
too  careful  of  the  purity  of  the  strain.  Lady  Charlotte 
talked.  She  was  excited,  and  ran  her  sentences  to 
blanks,  a  cunning  way  for  ministering  consolation  to  her 
hearing,  where  the  sentence  intended  a  question,  and  the 
blank  ending  caught  up  the  query  tone  and  carried  it 
dwindling  away  to  the  most  distant  of  throttled  inter- 
rogatives.  She  had,  in  this  manner,  only  to  ask, — her 
hearing  received  the  comforting  answer  it  desired  ;  for 
she  could  take  that  thin  far  sound  as  a  travelling  laugh- 
ter of  incredulity,  triumphant  derision. 

This  meant  to  her  —  though  she  scarcely  knew  it, 
though  the  most  wilful  of  women  declined  to  know  it  — 
a  state  of  alarm.  She  had  said  of  her  brother  in  past 
days  that  he  would  have  his  time  of  danger  after  striking 
sixty.     The  dangerous  person  was  to  be  young. 

But,  then,  Ormont  had  high  principles  with  regard  to 
the  dues  to  his  family.  His  principles  could  always  be 
trusted.  The  dangerous  young  person  would  have  to  be 
a  person  of  lineage,  of  a  certain  station  at  least :  no  need 
for  a  titled  woman,  only  for  warranted  good  blood.  Is 
that  to  be  found  certificated  out  of  the  rolls  of  Society  ? 
It  may  just  possibly  be  found,  without  certificate,  how- 
ever, in  those  muddled  caverns  where  the  excluded  inter- 


44  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

mingle.  Here  and  tliere,  in  a  peasant  family,  or  a  small 
country  tradesman's  just  raised  above  a  peasant,  honest 
regenerating  blood  will  be  found.  Nobles  wanting  re- 
freshment from  the  soil  might  do  worse  than  try  a  slip 
of  one  of  those  juicy  weeds ;  ill-fated,  sickly  Royalties 
would  be  set-up  striding  through  another  half-century 
with  such  invigoration,  if  it  could  be  done  for  them ! 
There  are  tales.  The  tales  are  honourably  discredited 
by  the  crazy  constitutions  of  the  heirs  to  the  diadem. 
Yes,  but  we  are  speculating  on  the  matter  seriously,  as 
though  it  were  one  of  intimate  concern  to  the  family. 
What  is  there  to  make  us  think  that  Ormont  would 
marry  ?  Impossible  to  imagine  him  intimidated.  Un- 
likely that  he,  a  practised  reader  of  women,  having  so 
little  of  the  woman  in  him,  would  be  melted  by  a  wily 
girl ;  as  women  in  the  twilight  situation  have  often 
played  the  trick  to  come  into  the  bright  beams.  How  ? 
They  do  a  desperate  thing,  and  call  it  generosity,  and 
then  they  appeal  from  it  to  my  lord's  generosity;  and 
so  the  two  generosities  drive  off  in  a  close  carriage  with 
a  friend  and  a  professional  landlady  for  the  blessing  of 
the  parson,  and  are  legitimately  united.  Women  have 
won  round  fools  to  give  way  in  that  Avay.  And  quite 
right  too  !  thought  Lady  Charlotte,  siding  with  nature 
and  justice,  as  she  reflected  that  no  woman  created 
would  win  round  her  brother  to  give  way  in  that  way. 
He  was  too  acute.  The  moment  the  woman  showed 
sign   of   becoming   an   actress,   her   doom   was  written. 


LADY   CHARLOTTE  45 

"Poor  idiot!"  was  not  uncharitably  inscribed  by  the 
sisterly  lady  on  the  tombstone  of  hopes  aimed  with 
scarce  pardonable  ambition  at  her  brother. 

She  blew  away  the  rumour.  Ormont,  she  vowed,  had 
not  entitled  any  woman  to  share  and  bear  his  title. 
And  this  was  her  interpretation  of  the  report :  he  per- 
mitted (if  he  did  permit)  the  woman  to  take  his  name, 
that  he  might  have  a  scornful  fling  at  the  world  mal- 
treating him.  Besides,  the  name  was  not  published,  it 
was  not  to  be  seen  in  the  papers ;  it  passed  merely 
among  male  friends,  tradesmen,  servants  :  no  great  harm 
in  that. 

Listen  further.  Here  is  an  unknown  girl :  Avhy  should 
he  marry  her  ?  A  girl  consenting  to  the  place  beside 
a  man  of  his  handsome  ripe  age  is  either  bought,  or 
she  is  madly  enamoured ;  she  does  not  dictate  terms. 
Ormont  is  not  of  the  brute  buyers  in  that  market.  One 
sees  it  is  the  girl  who  leads  the  dance.  A  girl  is  rarely 
so  madly  enamoured  as  when  she  falls  in  love  with  her 
grandfather ;  she  pitches  herself  at  his  head.  This  had 
not  happened  for  the  first  time  in  Onnont's  case ;  and 
he  had  never  proposed  marriage.  Why  should  he  do 
it  now  ? 

But  again,  if  the  girl  has  breeding  to  some  extent,  he 
might  think  it  her  due  that  she  should  pass  under  the 
safeguard  of  his  name,  out  of  sight. 

Then,  so  far  the  report  is  trustworthy.  We  blow  the 
rumour  out  of  belief.     A  young  woman  there  is :  she  is 


46  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Mot  a  wife.  Lady  Charlotte  allowed,  her  the  fairly  re- 
spectable post  of  Hecate  of  the  Shades,  as  long  as  the 
girl  was  no  pretender  to  the  place  and  name  in  the  upper 
sphere.  Her  deductions  were  plausible,  convincing  to 
friends  shaken  by  lier  vehement  manner  of  coming  at 
them.  She  convinced  herself  by  means  of  her  multitude 
of  reasons  for  not  pursuing  inquiry.  Her  brother  said 
nothing.  There  was  no  need  for  him  to  speak.  He 
seemed  on  one  or  two  occasions  in  the  act  of  getting 
himself  together  for  the  communication  of  a  secret ;  and 
she  made  ready  to  listen  hard,  with  ears,  eyebrows,  hard- 
shut  mouth,  and  a  gleam  at  the  back  of  her  eyes,  for  a 
signification  of  something  she  would  refer  him  to  after 
he  had  spoken.  He  looked  at  her  and  held  his  peace, 
or  virtually  held  it,  —  that  is,  he  said  not  one  word  on 
the  subject  she  was  to  have  told  him  she  had  anticipated. 
Lady  Charlotte  ascribed  it  to  his  recollection  of  the 
quick  blusher,  the  pained  blusher,  she  was  in  her  girl- 
hood at  mention  or  print  of  the  story  of  men  and  women. 
Who,  not  having  known  her,  could  conceive  it !  But  who 
could  conceive  that,  behind  the  positive,  plain-dealing, 
downright  woman  of  the  world,  there  was  at  times,  when 
a  nerve  was  touched  or  an  old  blocked  path  of  imagina- 
tion thrown  open,  a  sensitive  youthfulness,  still  quick 
to  blush  as  far  as  the  skin  of  a  grandmother  matron 
might  show  it ! 


THE   TUTOR  47 

CHAPTER   III 

THE   TUTOR 

There  was  no  counting  now  on  Lord  Orraont's  pres- 
ence in  the  British  gathering  seasons,  when  wheatears 
wing  across  our  fields  or  swallows  return  to  their  eaves. 
He  forsook  the  hunt  to  roam  the  Continent,  one  of  the 
vulgar  band  of  tourists,  honouring  town  only  when  May- 
flies had  flown,  and  London's  indiscriminate  people  went 
about  without  their  volatile  heads. 

Lady  Charlotte  put  these  changed  conditions  upon  the 
behaviour  of  the  military  authorities  to  her  brother ; 
saying  that  the  wonder  was  he  did  not  shake  the  dust  of 
his  country  from  his  feet.  In  her  wise  head  she  rejoiced 
to  think  he  was  not  the  donkey  she  sketched  for  admira- 
tion ;  and  she  was  partly  consoled,  or  played  at  the 
taking  of  a  comfort  needed  in  her  perpetual  struggle 
with  a  phantom  of  a  fact,  by  the  reflection  that  a  young 
woman  on  his  arm  would  cause  him  to  feel  himself  more 
at  home  abroad.  Her  mind's  habit  of  living  warmly 
beside  him  in  separation  was  vexed  by  the  fixed  intru- 
sion of  a  female  third  person,  who  checked  the  run  of 
intimate  chatter,  especially  damped  the  fancied  talk  over 
early  days  —  of  which  the  creature  was  ignorant ;  and 
her  propinquity  to  him  arrested  or  broke  the  dialogue 
Lady  Charlotte  invented  and   pressed   to    renew.     But 


48  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

a  wife,  while  letting  him  be  seen,  would  have  insisted 
on  appropriating  the  thought  of  him  —  all  his  days,  past 
as  well  as  present.  An  impassioned  sister's  jealousy 
preferred  that  it  should  not  be  a  wife  reigning  to  dispute 
her  share  of  her  brother  in  imagination. 

Then  came  a  rumour,  telling  of  him  as  engaged  upon 
the  composition  of  his  Memoirs. 

Lady  Charlotte's  impulsive  outcry :  ''  Writing  them  ?  " 
signified  her  grounds  for  alarm. 

Happily,  Memoirs  are  not  among  the  silly  deeds  done 
in  a  moment ;  they  were  somewhere  ahead  and  over  the 
hills :  a  band  of  brigands  rather  than  a  homely  shining 
mansion,  it  was  true ;  but  distant ;  and  a  principal 
question  shrieked  to  know  whether  he  was  composing 
them  for  publication.  She  could  look  forward  with  a 
girl's  pleasure  to  the  perusal  of  them  in  manuscript,  in 
a  woody  nook,  in  a  fervour  of  partisanship,  easily  avoid- 
ing sight  of  errors,  grammatical  or  moral.  She  chafed 
at  the  possible  printing  and  publishing  of  them.  That 
would  be  equivalent  to  an  exhibition  of  him  clean- 
stripped  for  a  run  across  London  —  brilliant  in  himself, 
spotty  in  the  offence.  Published  Memoirs  indicate  the 
end  of  a  man's  activity,  and  that  he  acknowledges 
the  end ;  and  at  a  period  of  Lord  Ormont's  life  when 
the  denial  of  it  should  thunder.  They  are  his  final 
chapter,  making  mummy  of  the  grand  figure  they  wrap 
in  the  printed  stuff.  They  are  virtually  his  apology. 
Can  those  knowing  Lord  Ormout  hear  him  apologise  ? 


THE  TUTOti  4§ 

But  it  is  a  craven  apology  if  we  stoop  to  expound :  we 
are  seen  as  pleading  our  case  before  the  public.  Call 
it  by  any  name  you  please,  and  under  any  attitude,  it  is 
that.  And  set  aside  the  writing :  it  may  be  perfect ; 
the  act  is  the  degradation.  It  is  a  rousing  of  swarms. 
His  friends  and  the  public  will  see  the  proudest  noble- 
man of  his  day,  pleading  his  case  in  mangled  English, 
in  the  headlong  of  an  outpoured,  undrilled,  rabble  vocab- 
ulary, doubling  the  ridicule  by  his  imperturbability  over 
the  ridicule  he  excites :  he  who  is  no  more  ridiculous, 
cried  the  partisan  sister,  conjuring  up  the  scene,  not  an 
ace  more  ridiculous,  than  a  judge  of  assize  calling  him- 
self miserable  sinner  on  Sunday  before  the  parson,  after 
he  has  very  properly  condemned  half  a  score  of  week- 
day miserable  sinners  to  penal  servitude  or  the  rope. 
Nobody  laughs  at  the  judge.  Everybody  will  be  laugh- 
ing at  the  scornful  man  down  half-way  to  his  knee-caps 
with  a  stutter  of  an  apology  for  having  done  his  duty  to 
his  country,  after  stigmatising  numbers  for  inability  or 
ill-will  to  do  it.  But  Ormont's  weapon  is  the  sword, 
not  a  pen!  Lady  Charlotte  hunted  her  simile  till  the 
dogs  had  it  or  it  ran  to  earth. 

She  struck  at  the  conclusion,  that  the  young  woman 
had  been  persuading  him.  An  adoring  young  woman 
is  the  person  to  imagine  and  induce  to  the  commission 
of  such  folly.  "  What  do  you  think  ?  You  have  seen 
her,  you  say,"  she  asked  of  a  man  she  welcomed  for  his 
flavour  of  the  worldling's  fine  bile. 


50  LORD   ORMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

Lord  AdderwoocI  made  answer :  '•  She  may  be  having 
a  hand  in  it.  She  worships,  and  that  is  your  way  of 
pulling  Grods  to  the  ground." 

"  Does  she  understand  good  English  ?  " 

"  Speaks  it." 

"  Can  she  write  ?  " 

"  I  have  never  had  a  letter  from  her." 

"  You  tell  me  Morsfield  admires  the  woman  —  would 
marry  her  to-morrow,  if  he  could  get  her." 

"  He  would  go  through  the  ceremony  Ormont  has  per- 
formed, I  do  not  doubt." 

"I  don't  doubt  all  of  you  are  ready.  She  doesn't 
encourage  one  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  all." 

"  She's  clever.  This  has  been  going  on  for  now  seven 
years,  and,  as  far  as  I  know,  she  has  my  brother  fast." 

"  She  may  have  done  the  clever  trick  of  having  him 
fast  from  the  beginning." 

"  She'd  like  people  to  think  it." 

"  She  has  an  aunt  to  advertise  it." 

"Ormont  can't  swallow  the  woman,  I'm  told." 

"  Trying,  if  one  is  bound  to  get  her  down !  " 

"Boasts  of  the  connection  everywhere  she's  admitted, 
Kandeller  says." 

"  Kandeller  procures  the  admission  to  various  parti- 
coloured places." 

"  She  must  be  a  blinking  moll-owl !  And  I  ask  any 
sane  Christian  or   Pagan  —  proof  enough  !  —  would  my 


THE   TUTOR  51 

brother  Eowsley  let  his  wife  visit  those  places,  those 
people?  Monstrous  to  have  the  suspicion  that  he 
would,  if  you  know  him !  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley, 
for  example.  I  say  nothing  to  hurt  the  poor  woman ;  I 
back  her  against  her  imbecile  of  a  husband.  He  brings 
a  charge  he  can't  support ;  she  punishes  him  by  taking 
three  years'  lease  of  independence,  and  kicks  up  the 
grass  all  over  the  paddock,  and  then  comes  cuckoo,  bark- 
ing his  name  abroad  to  have  her  home  again.  You  can 
win  the  shyest  filly  to  corn  at  last !  She  goes,  and  he 
digests  ruefully  the  hotch-potch  of  a  dish  the  woman 
brings  him.  Only  the  world  spies  a  side-head  at  her, 
husbanded  or  not,  though  the  main  fault  was  his,  and 
she  had  a  right  to  insist  that  he  should  be  sure  of  his 
charge  before  he  smacked  her  in  the  face  with  it  before 
the  world.  In  dealing  with  a  woman,  a  man  commonly 
prudent  —  put  aside  chivalry,  justice,  and  the  rest  — 
should  bind  himself  to  disbelieve  what  he  can't  prove. 
Otherwise,  let  him  expect  his  whipping,  with  or  without 
ornament.  My  opinion  is,  Lawrence  Finchley  had  no 
solid  foundation  for  his  charge,  except  his  being  an 
imbecile.  She  wasn't  one  of  the  adventurous  women 
to  jump  the  bars,  —  the  gate  had  to  be  pushed  open,  and 
he  did  it.  There  she  is ;  and  I  ask  you,  would  my 
brother  Eowsley  let  his  loife  be  intimate  with  her  ? 
And  there  are  others.  And,  smif  votre  respect,  the  men 
—  Morsfield  for  one,  Randeller  another  ?  " 
"  They  have  a  wholesome  dread  of  the  lion." 


52  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS  AMINTA 

"  If  they  smell  a  chance  with  the  lion's  bone  —  it's 
the  sweeter  for  being  the  lion's.  These  metaphors  carry 
us  off  our  ground.  I  must  let  these  Ormont  Memoirs 
run  and  upset  him,  if  they  get  to  print.  I've  only  to 
oppose,  printed  they'll  be.  The  same  if  I  say  a  word 
of  this  woman,  he  marries  her  to-morrow  morning.  You 
speak  of  my  driving  men.  Why  can't  I  drive  Ormont  ? 
Because  I'm  too  fond  of  him.  There  you  have  the  secret 
of  the  subjection  of  women :  they  can  hold  their  own, 
and  a  bit  more,  when  they've  no  enemy  beating 
inside." 

"  Hearts  !  —  ah  well,  it's  possible.  I  don't  say  no ; 
I've  not  discovered  them,"  Lord  Adderwood  observed. 

They  are  indeed  rarely  discovered  in  the  haunts  he 
frequented. 

Her  allusion  to  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley  rapped  him 
smartly,  and  she  admired  his  impassiveness  under  the 
stroke.     Such  a  spectacle  was  one  of  her  pleasures. 

Lady  Charlotte  mentioned  incidentally  her  want  of  a 
tutor  for  her  grandson  Leo  during  the  winter  holidays. 
He  suggested  an  application  to  the  clergyman  of  her 
parish.  She  was  at  feud  with  the  Rev.  Stephen 
Hampton-Evey,  and  would  not  take,  she  said,  a  man  to 
be  a  bootblack  in  her  backyard  or  a  woman  a  scullery- 
wench  in  her  kitchen  upon  his  recommendation.  She 
described  the  person  of  Mr.  Hampton-Evey,  his  manner 
of  speech,  general  opinions,  professional  doctrines ; 
rolled  him  into  a  ball  and  bowled  him,  with  a  shrug  for 


tHE  TUTOR 


ht 


lamentation  over  the  decay  of  the  good  old  order  of 
manly  English  Protestant  clergymen,  who  drank  their 
port,  bothered  nobody  about  belief,  abstained  from 
preaching  their  sermon,  if  requested ;  were  capital  fel- 
lows in  the  hunting-field,  too;  for  if  they  came,  they 
had  the  spur  to  hunt  in  the  devil's  despite.  Now  we  are 
going  to  have  a  kind  of  bitter,  clawed,  forked  female,  in 
vestments  over  breeches.  "  How  do  you  like  that  bun- 
dling of  the  sexes?" 

Lord  Adderwood  liked  the  lines  of  division  to  be 
strictly  and  invitingly  definite.  He  was  thinking, 
as  he  reviewed  the  frittered  appearance  of  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Hampton-Evey  in  Lady  Charlotte's  hands,  of 
the  possibility  that  Lord  Ormont,  who  was  reputed  to 
fear  nobody,  feared  her.  In  which  case,  the  handsome 
young  woman  passing  among  his  associates  as  the  pseudo 
Lady  Ormont  might  be  the  real  one  after  all,  and  Isa- 
bella Lawrence  Finchley  prove  right  in  the  warning  she 
gave  to  dogs  of  chase. 

The  tutor  required  by  Lady  Charlotte  was  found  for 
her  by  Mr.  Abner.  Their  correspondence  on  the  sub- 
ject filled  the  space  of  a  week,  and  then  the  gentleman 
hired  to  drive  a  creaky  wheel  came  down  from  London 
to  Olmer,  arriving  late  in  the  evening. 

Lady  Charlotte's  blunt  "Oh!"  when  he  entered  her 
room  and  bowed  upon  the  announcement  of  his  name, 
was  caused  by  an  instantaneous  perception  and  reflec- 
tion that  it  would  be  prudent  to  keep  her  granddaugh- 


54  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ter  Philippa,  aged  between  seventeen  and  eighteen,  out 
of  his  way. 

"You  are  a  friend  of  Mr.  Abner's,  are  you?" 

He  was  not  disconcerted.  He  replied,  in  an  assured 
and  pleasant  voice,  "I  have  hardly  the  pretension  to  be 
called  a  friend,  madam." 

"Are  you  a  Jew?" 

Her  abruptness  knocked  something  like  a  laugh  almost 
out  of  him,  but  he  restrained  the  signs  of  it. 

"I  am  not." 

"  You  wouldn't  be  ashamed  to  tell  me  you  were  one 
if  you  were?" 

"Not  at  all." 

"You  like  the  Jews?" 

"Those  I  know  I  like." 

"Not  many  Christians  have  the  good  sense  and  the 
good  heart  of  Arthur  Abner.  Now  go  and  eat.  Come 
back  to  me  when  you've  done.  I  hope  you  are  hungry. 
Ask  the  butler  for  the  wine  you  prefer." 

She  had  not  anticipated  the  enrolment  in  her  house- 
hold of  a  man  so  young  and  good-looking.  These  were 
qualifications  for  Cupid's  business,  which  his  unstrained 
self-possession  accentuated  to  a  note  of  danger  to  her 
chicks,  because  she  liked  the  taste  of  him.  Her  grand- 
daughter Philippa  was  in  the  girl's  waxen  age;  another, 
Beatrice,  was  coming  to  it.  Both  were  under  her  care; 
and  she  was  a  vigilant  woman,  with  an  intuition  and  a 
knowledge  of  sex.     She  did  not  blame  Arthur  Abner  for 


THE   TUTOR  56 

sending  her  a  good-looking  young  man;  she  had  only  a 
general  idea  that  tutors  in  a  house,  and  even  visiting 
tutors,  should  smell  of  dust  and  wear  a  snuffy  appear- 
ance. The  conditions  will  not  always  insure  the  tutors 
from  foolishness,  as  her  girl's  experience  reminded  her, 
but  they  protect  the  girl. 

"Your  name  is  Weyburn;  your  father  was  an  officer 
in  the  army,  killed  on  the  battlefield,  Arthur  Abner  tells 
me,"  was  her  somewhat  severely -toned  greeting  to  the 
young  tutor  on  his  presenting  himself  the  second  time. 

It  had  the  sound  of  the  preliminary  of  an  indictment 
read  in  a  Court  of  Law. 

"My  father  died  of  his  wounds  in  hospital,"  he  said. 

"Why  did  you  not  enter  the  service?" 

"Want  of  an  income,  my  lady." 

"Bad  look-out,  Army  or  Navy  for  gentlemen,  if  they 
stick  to  the  school  of  honour.  The  sedentary  profes- 
sions corrupt  men :  bad  for  the  blood.  Those  monastery 
monks  found  that  out.  They  had  to  birch  the  devil  out 
of  them  three  times  a  day  and  half  the  night,  howling 
like  full-moon  dogs  all  through  their  lives,  till  the  flesh 
was  off  them.  That  was  their  exercise,  if  they  were  for 
holiness.  My  brother.  Lord  Ormont,  has  never  been  still 
in  his  yoiith  or  his  manhood.  See  him  now.  He  counts 
his  years  by  scores;  and  he  has  about  as  many  wrinkles 
as  you  when  you're  smiling.  His  cheeks  are  as  red  as 
yours  now  you're  blushing.  You  ought  to  have  left  off 
that  trick  by  this  time.     It's  well  enougli  in  a  boy." 


56  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Against  lier  will  she  was  drawn  to  the  young  man  and 
her  consciousness  of  it  plucked  her  back  to  caution  with 
occasional  jerks  —  quaint  alternations  of  the  familiar  and 
the  harshly  formal  in  the  stranger's  experience. 

"If  I  have  your  permission,  Lady  Charlotte,"  said  he, 
"the  reason  why  I  mount  red  a  little  —  if  I  do  it  —  is, 
you  mention  Lord  Ormont,  and  I  have  followed  his  ca- 
reer since  I  was  the  youngest  of  boys." 

"Good  to  begin  with  the  worship  of  a  hero.  He 
can't  sham,  can't  deceive  —  not  even  a  Avoman;  and 
you're  old  enough  to  understand  the  temptation :  they're 
so  silly.  All  the  more,  it's  a  point  of  honour  with  a 
man  of  honour  to  shield  her  from  herself.  When  it's 
a  girl " 

The  young  man's  eyebrows  bent. 

"  Chapters  of  stories,  if  you  want  to  hear  them, "  she 
resumed;  "and  I  can  vouch  some  of  them  true.  Lord 
Ormont  was  never  one  of  the  wolves  in  a  hood.  What- 
ever you  hear  of  him,  you  may  be  sure  he  laid  no  trap. 
He's  just  the  opposite  to  the  hypocrite;  so  hypocrites 
hate  him.  I've  heard  them  called  high-priests  of  de- 
cency. Then  we  choose  to  be  indecent  and  honest,  if 
there's  a  God  to  worship.  Fear,  they're  in  the  habit 
of  saying  —  we  are  to  fear  God.  A  man  here,  a  Rev. 
Hampton-Evey,  you'll  hear  him  harp  on  'fear  God.' 
Hypocrites  may:  honest  sinners  have  no  fear.  And 
see  the  cause:  they  don't  deceive  themselves  —  that  is 
why.     Do  you  think  we  can  love  what  we  fear?     They 


THE  TUTOR  57 

love  God,  or  they  disbelieve.  And  if  they  believe  in 
Him,  they  know  they  can't  conceal  anything  from  Him. 
Honesty  means  piety :  we  can't  be  one  without  the  other. 
And  here  are  people  —  parsons  —  who  talk  of  dying  as 
going  into  the  presence  of  our  Maker,  as  if  He  had  been 
all  the  while  outside  the  world  He  created.  Those  par- 
sons, I  told  the  Rev.  Hampton-Evey  here,  make  infidels 
—  they  make  a  puzzle  of  their  God.  I'm  for  a  rational 
Deity.  They  preach  up  a  supernatural  eccentric.  I 
don't  say  all:  I've  heard  good  sermons,  and  met  sound- 
headed  clergj'^men  —  not  like  that  gaping  Hampton-Evey, 
when  a  woman  tells  him  she  thinks  for  herself.  We 
have  him  sitting  on  our  parish.  A  free-thinker  startles 
him  as  a  kind  of  demon;  but  a  female  free-thinker  is 
one  of  Satan's  concubines.  He  took  it  upon  himself 
to  reproach  me  —  flung  his  glove  at  my  feet,  because  I 
sent  a  cheque  to  a  poor  man  punished  for  blasphemy. 
The  man  had  the  right  to  his  opinions,  and  he  had 
the  courage  of  his  opinions.  I  doubt  whether  the 
Rev.  Hampton-Evey  would  go  with  a  willing  heart  to 
prison  for  his.  All  the  better  for  him  if  he  comes 
head-up  out  of  a  trial.  But  now  see:  all  these  parsons 
and  judges  and  mobcaps  insist  upon  conformity.  A 
man  with  common  manly  courage  comes  before  them, 
and  he's  cast  in  penalties.  Yet  we  know  from  his- 
tory, in  England,  France,  Germany,  that  the  time  of 
nonconformity  brought  out  the  manhood  of  the  nation. 
Now,  I  say,  a  nation,  to  be  a  nation,  must  have  men  — 


58  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

I  mean  brave  men.  That's  what  those  hosts  of  female 
men  combine  to  tiy  to  stifle.  Tliey  won't  succeed,  but 
we  shall  want  a  war  to  teach  the  country  the  value  of 
courage.  You  catch  what  I  am  driving  at?  They 
accuse  my  brother  of  immorality  because  he  makes  no 
pretence  to  be  better  than  the  men  of  his  class." 

Weyburn's  eyelids  fluttered.  Her  kite-like  ascent 
into  the  general,  with  the  sudden  drop  on  her  choice 
morsel,  switclied  his  humour  at  the  moment  when  he 
was  respectfully  considering  that  her  dartings  and  gyra- 
tions had  motive  as  mucii  as  the  flight  of  the  swallow 
for  food.  They  had  meaning;  and  here  was  one  of  the 
great  ladies  of  the  land  who  thought  for  herself,  and 
was  thoughtful  for  the  country.  If  she  came  down  like 
a  bird  winged,  it  was  her  love  of  her  brother  that  did 
it.     His  look  at  Lady  Charlotte  glistened. 

She  raised  her  defences  against  the  basilisk  fascinat- 
ing Philippa;  and  with  a  vow  to  keep  them  apart  and 
deprive  him  of  his  chance,  she  relapsed  upon  the  stiff 
frigidity  which  was  not  natural  to  her.  It  lasted  long 
enough  to  put  him  on  his  guard  under  the  seductions  of 
a  noble  dame's  condescension  to  a  familiar  tone.  But, 
as  he  was  too  well  bred  to  show  the  change  in  his  mind 
for  her  change  of  manner,  and  as  she  was  the  sister  of 
his  boyhood's  hero,  and  could  be  full  of  flavour,  his 
eyes  retained  something  of  their  sparkle.  They  were 
ready  to  lighten  again,  in  the  way  peculiar  to  him,  when 
she,  quite  forgetting  her  defence  of   Pliilippa,  disbur- 


THE   TUTOR  59 

dened  herself  of  her  antagonisms  and  enthusiasms,  her 
bates  and  her  loves  all  round  the  neighbourhood  and 
over  the  world,  won  to  confidential  communication  by 
this  young  man's  face.  She  confessed  as  much,  had  he 
been  guided  to  perceive  it.  She  said,  "  Arthur  Abner's 
a  reader  of  men:  I  can  trust  his  word  about  them." 

Presently,  it  is  true,  she  added:  "No  man's  to  be 
relied  upon  where  there's  a  woman."  She  refused  her 
implicit  trust  to  saints  —  "if  ever  a  man  really  was  a 
saint  before  he  was  canonised !  " 

Her  penetrative  instinct  of  sex  kindled  the  scepti- 
cism. Sex  she  saw  at  play  everywhere,  dogging  the 
conduct  of  affairs,  directing  them  at  times;  she  saw  it 
as  the  animation  of  nature,  senselessly  stigmatized, 
hypocritically  concealed,  active  in  our  thoughts  where 
not  in  our  deeds;  and  the  declining  of  the  decorous 
to  see  it,  or  admit  the  sight,  got  them  abhorred  bad 
names  from  her,  after  a  touch  at  the  deadly  poison 
coming  of  that  blindness,  or  blind-foldedness,  and  a 
grimly  melancholy  shrug  over  the  cruelties  resulting 
—  cruelties  chiefly  affecting  women. 

"You're  too  young  to  have  thought  upon  such  mat- 
ters," she  said,  for  a  finish  to  them. 

That  was  hardly  true. 

"I  have  thought,"  said  Weyburn,  and  his  head  fell 
to  reckoning  of  the  small  sum  of  his  thoughts  upon  them. 

He  was  pulled  up  instantly  for  close  inspection  by 
the  judge.     "What  is  your  age?" 


60  LORD   OriMONT    AND   HIS    AMINTA 

"I  am  in  my  twenty-sixth  year." 

"You  have  been  among  men:  have  you  studied 
women?" 

"  Not  largely,  Lady  Charlotte.  Opportunity  has  been 
wanting  at  French  and  German  colleges." 

"  It's  only  a  large  and  a  close  and  a  pretty  long  study 
of  them  that  can  teach  you  anything;  and  you  must  get 
rid  of  the  poetry  about  them,  and  be  sure  you  haven't 
lost  it  altogether.  That's  what  is  called  the  golden 
mean.  I'm  not  for  the  golden  mean  in  every  instance; 
it's  a  way  of  exhorting  to  brutal  selfishness.  I  grant 
it's  the  right  way  in  those  questions.  You'll  learn  in 
time."  Her  scanning  gaze  at  the  young  man's  face 
drove  him  along  an  avenue  of  his  very  possible  chances 
of  learning.  "Certain  to.  But  don't  tell  me  that  at 
your  age  you  have  thought  about  women.  You  may 
say  you  have  felt.  A  young  man's  feelings  about 
women  are  better  reading  for  him  six  or  a  dozen 
chapters  further  on.  Then  he  can  sift  and  strain.  It 
won't  be  perfectly  clear,  but  it  will  do." 

Mr.  Eglett  hereupon  threw  the  door  open,  and  ush- 
ered in  Master  Leo. 

Lady  Charlotte  noticed  that  the  tutor  shook  the  boy's 
hand  offhandedly,  with  not  a  whit  of  the  usual  obtru- 
sive geniality,  and  merely  dropped  him  a  word.  Soon 
after,  he  was  talking  to  Mr.  Eglett  of  games  at  home 
and  games  abroad.  Poor  fun  over  there !  We  head  the 
world  in  field  games,  at  all  events.     He  drew  a  picture 


THE   TUTOR  61 

of  a  foreigner  of  his  acquaintance  looking  on  at  foot- 
ball. On  the  other  hand,  French  hoj^s  and  German, 
having  passed  a  year  or  two  at  an  English  school,  get 
the  liking  for  our  games,  and  do  a  lot  of  good  Avhen 
they  go  home.  The  things  we  learn  from  them  are  to 
dance,  to  sing,  and  to  stud}^:  —  they  are  more  in  earnest 
than  we  about  study.  They  teach  us  at  fencing  too. 
The  tutor  praised  fencing  as  an  exercise  and  an  accom- 
plishment. He  had  large  reserves  of  eulogy  for  lx)x- 
ing.  He  knew  the  qualities  of  the  famous  bruisers  of 
the  time,  cited  fisty  names,  Avhose  owners  were  then 
to  be  seen  all  over  an  admiring  land  in  prints,  in  the 
glorious  defensive-offensive  attitude,  England's  own  — 
Touch  me,  if  you  dare!  Avith  bullish,  or  bull-dog  or  oak- 
bole  fronts  for  the  blow,  handsome  to  pugilistic  eyes. 

The  young  tutor  had  lighted  on  a  pet  theme  of  Mr. 
Eglett's  —  the  excelling  virtues  of  the  practice  of  pugil- 
ism in  old  England,  and  the  school  of  honour  that  it  is 
to  our  lower  population.  "Fifty  times  better  for  them 
than  cock-fighting,"  he  exclaimed,  admitting  that  he 
could  be  an  interested  spectator  at  a  ring  or  the  pit: 
cock-lighting  or  ratting. 

"  Ratting  seems  to  have  more  excuse, "  the  tutor  said, 
and  made  no  sign  of  a  liking  for  either  of  those  popular 
pastimes.  As  he  disapproved  without  squeamishness, 
the  impulsive  but  sharply  critical  woman  close  by 
nodded;  and  she  gave  him  his  dues  for  being  no 
courtier. 


62  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Leo  had  to  be  off  to  bed.  The  tutor  spared  him  any 
struggle  over  the  shaking  of  hands,  and  saying,  "  Good 
night,  Leo,"  continued  the  conversation.  The  boy  went 
away  visibly  relieved  of  the  cramp  that  seizes  on  a 
youngster  at  the  formalities  pertaining  to  these  chilly 
and  fateful  introductions. 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  look  of  him?"  Mr. 
Eglett  asked. 

The  tutor  had  not  appeared  to  inspect  the  boy.  "  Big 
head,"  he  remarked.  "Yes,  Leo  won't  want  pushing 
at  books  when  he's  once  in  harness.  He  will  have  six 
weeks  of  me.  It's  more  than  the  yeomanry  get  for 
drill  per  annum,  and  they're  expected  to  know  some- 
thing of  a  soldier's  duties.  There's  a  chance  of  put- 
ting him  on  the  right  road  in  certain  matters.  We'll 
walk,  or  ride,  or  skate,  if  the  frost  holds  to-morrow: 
no  lessons  the  first  day." 

"Do  as  you  think  fit,"  said  Lady  Charlotte. 

The  one  defect  she  saw  in  the  tutor  did  not  concern 
his  pupil.  And  a  girl,  if  hit,  would  be  unable  to  see 
that  this  tutor,  judged  as  a  man,  was  to  some  extent 
despicable  for  accepting  tutorships,  and,  one  might 
say,  dishonouring  the  family  of  a  soldier  of  rank  and 
distinction,  by  coming  into  houses  at  the  back  way, 
with  footing  enough  to  air  his  graces  when  once  estab- 
lished there.  He  ought  to  have  knocked  at  every  door 
in  the  kingdom  for  help,  rather  than  accept  tutor- 
ships, and   disturb  households   (or   providently-minded 


THE   TUTOR  63 

mistresses  of  them)  with  all  sorts  of  probably  ground- 
less apprehensions,  founded  naturally  enough  on  the 
good  looks  he  intrudes. 

This  tutor  committed  the  offence  next  day  of  showing 
he  had  a  firm  and  easy  seat  in  the  saddle,  which  in- 
creased Lady  Charlotte's  liking  for  him  and  irritated  her 
watchful  forecasts.  She  rode  with  the  young  man  after 
lunch,  "to  show  him  the  country,"  and  gave  him  a  taste 
of  what  he  took  for  her  variable  moods.  He  misjudged 
her.  Like  a  swimmer  going  through  warm  and  cold 
springs  of  certain  lake  waters,  he  thought  her  a  capri- 
cious ladyship,  dangerous  for  intimacy,  alluring  to  the 
deeps  and  gripping  with  cramps. 

She  pushed  him  to  defend  his  choice  of  the  tutor's 
profession. 

"Think  you  understand  boys?"  she  caught  up  his 
words;  "you  can't.  You  can  humour  them,  as  you 
humour  women.  They're  just  as  hard  to  read.  And 
don't  tell  me  a  young  man  can  read  women.  Boys 
and  women  go  on  their  instincts.  Egyptologists  can 
spell  you  hieroglyphs;  they'd  be  stvimped,  as  Leo 
would  say,  to  read  a  spider  out  of  an  ink-pot  over  a 
sheet  of  paper." 

"  One  gets  to  interpret  by  degrees,  by  observing  their 
habits,"  the  tutor  said,  and  vexed  her  with  a  towering 
complacency  under  provocation  that  went  some  way 
further  to  melt  the  woman  she  was,  while  her  knowl- 
edge of  the  softness  warned  her  still  more  of  the  duty 


64  LORD   ORMONT    AND    HIS   AMINTA 

of  playing  dragon  round  such  a  young  man  in  her 
house.  The  despot  is  alert  at  every  issue,  to  every 
chance;  and  she  was  one,  the  wakefuller  for  being 
benevolent;    her  mind  had  no  sleep  by  day. 

For  a  month  she  subjected  Mr.  Matthew  Weyburn 
to  the  microscope  of  her  observation  and  the  probe  of 
her  instinct.  He  proved  that  he  could  manage  with- 
out cajoling  a  boy.  The  practical  fact  established,  by 
agreement  between  herself  and  the  unobservant  gentle- 
man who  was  her  husband,  Lady  Charlotte  allowed  her 
meditations  to  drop  an  indifferent  glance  at  the  specu- 
lative views  upon  education  entertained  by  this  young 
tutor.  To  her  mind  they  were  flighty;  but  she  liked 
him,  and  as  her  feelings  dictated  to  her  mind  when 
she  had  not  to  think  for  others,  she  spoke  of  his 
views  toleratingly,  almost  with  an  implied  approval, 
after  passing  them  through  the  form  of  burlesque  to 
which  she  customarily  treated  things  failing  to  waft 
her  enthusiasm.  In  regard  to  Philippa  he  behaved 
well:  he  bestowed  more  of  his  attention  on  Beatrice, 
nearer  Leo's  age,  in  talk  about  games  and  story-books 
and  battles;  nothing  that  he  did  when  the  girls  were 
present  betrayed  the  strutting  plumed  cock,  bent  to 
attract,  or  the  sickly  reptile,  thirsty  for  a  prize  above 
him  and  meaning  to  have  it,  like  Satan  in  Eden.  Still, 
of  course,  he  could  not  help  his  being  a  handsome  fel- 
low, having  a  vivid  face  and  eyes  transparent,  whether 
blue  or  green,  to  flame  of  the  brain  exciting  them ;  and 


THE   TUTOR  65 

that  becomes  a  picture  in  the  dream  of  girls  —  a  picture 
creating  the  dream  often.  And  Philippa  had  asked  her 
grandmother,  very  ingenuously  indeed,  with  a  most  nat- 
ural candour,  why  "they  saw  so  little  of  Leo's  hero." 
Simple  female  child! 

However,  there  was  no  harm  done,  and  Lady  Char- 
lotte liked  him.  She  liked  few.  Forthwith,  in  the 
manner  of  her  particular  head,  a  restless  head,  she  fell 
to  work  at  combinations. 

Thus :  —  he  is  a  nice  young  fellow,  well-bred,  no  cring- 
ing courtier,  accomplished,  good  at  classics,  fairish  at 
mathematics,  a  scholar  in  French,  German,  Italian, 
with  a  shrewd  knowledge  of  the  different  races,  and 
with  sound  English  sentiment  too,  and  the  capacity  for 
writing  good  English,  although  in  those  views  of  his 
the  ideas  are  unusual,  therefore  un-English,  profoundly 
so.  But  his  intentions  are  patriotic;  they  would  not 
displease  Lord  Ormont.  He  has  a  worship  of  Lord 
Ormont.  All  we  can  say  on  behalf  of  an  untried  in- 
ferior is  in  that, — only  the  valiant  admire  devotedly. 
Well,  he  can  write  grammatical,  readable  English. 
What  if  Lord  Ormont  were  to  take  him  as  a  secre- 
tary while  the  Memoirs  are  in  hand?  He  might  help 
to  chasten  the  sentences  laughed  at  by  those  news- 
papers. Or  he  miglit,  being  a  terrible  critic  of  writ- 
ing, and  funny  about  styles,  put  it  in  an  absurd  light, 
that  would  cause  the  Memoirs  to  be  tossed  into  the 
fire.     He  was   made   for   the   ])ost   of   secretary!     The 


6Q  LOED   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

young  man's  good  looks  would  be  out  of  harm's  way- 
then.  If  any  sprig  of  womankind  come  across  him 
there,  it  will,  at  any  rate,  not  be  a  girl.  Women  must 
take  care  of  themselves.  Only  the  fools  among  them 
run  to  mischief  in  the  case  of  a  handsome  young 
fellow. 

Supposing  a  certain  woman  to  be  one  of  the  fools? 
Lady  Charlotte  merely  suggested  it  in  the  dashing 
current  of  her  meditations  —  did  not  strike  it  out  in- 
terrogatively. The  woman  would  be  a  fine  specimen 
among  her  class;  that  was  all.  For  the  favourite  of 
Lord  Orniont  to  stoop  from  her  place  beside  him  —  ay, 
but  women  do;  heroes  have  had  the  woeful  experience 
of  that  fact.  First  we  see  them  aiming  themselves  at 
their  hero;  next  they  are  shooting  an  eye  at  the  hand- 
some man.  The  thirst  of  nature  comes  after  that  of 
their  fancy,  in  conventional  women.  Sick  of  the  hero 
tried,  tirfed  of  their  place  in  the  market,  no  longer 
ashamed  to  acknowledge  it,  they  begin  to  consult  their 
own  taste  for  beauty  —  they  have  it  quite  as  much  as 
tlie  men  have  it;  and  when  their  worshipped  figure 
of  manliness,  in  a  romantic  sombrero,  is  a  threadbare 
giant,  showing  bruises,  they  sink  on  their  inherent 
desire  for  a  dance  with  the  handsome  man.  And  the 
really  handsome  man  is  the  most  extraordinary  of  the 
rarities.  No  wonder  that  when  he  appears  he  slays 
them,  walks  over  them  like  a  pestilence! 

This   young  Weyburn   would   touch   the   fancy  of  a 


THE  TUTOR  67 

woman  of  a  romantic  turn.  Supposing  her  enthusiastic 
in  her  worship  of  the  hero,  after  a  number  of  years  — 
for  anything  may  be  imagined  where  a  woman  is  con- 
cerned —  why,  another  enthusiasm  for  the  same  object, 
and  on  the  part  of  a  stranger,  a  stranger  with  effective 
eyes,  rapidly  leads  to  sympathy.  Suppose  the  reverse 
—  the  enthusiasm  gone  to  dust,  or  become  a  wheezy  old 
bellows,  as  it  does  where  there's  disparity  of  age,  or  it 
frequently  does  —  then  the  sympathy  with  a  good-look- 
ing stranger  comes  more  rapidly  still. 

These  were  Lady  Charlotte's  glances  right  and  left  — 
idle  flights  of  the  eye  of  a  mounted  Amazon  across 
hedges  at  the  canter  along  the  main  road  of  her 
scheme;  which  was  to  do  a  service  to  the  young  man 
she  liked  and  to  the  brother  she  loved,  for  the  marked 
advantage  of  both  equally ;  perhaps  for  the  chance  of  a 
little  gossip  to  follow  about  that  tenacious  woman  by 
whom  her  brother  was  held  hard  and  fast,  kept  away 
from  friends  and  relatives,  isolated,  insomuch  as  to 
have  given  up  living  on  his  estate  —  the  old  home !  — 
because  he  would  not  disgrace  it  or  incur  odium  by 
taking  her  there. 

In  consequence  of  Lord  Ormont's  resistance  to  pres- 
sure from  her  on  two  or  three  occasions,  she  chose  to 
nurse  and  be  governed  by  the  maxim  for  herself :  Never 
propose  a  plan  to  him,  if  you  want  it  adopted.  That 
was  her  way  of  harmlessly  solacing  love's  vindictive- 
ness  for  an  injury. 


68  LORD    ORMOXT   AND   HIS    AMIXTA 

She  sent  Arthur  Abner  a  letter,  thanking  him  for 
his  recommendation  of  young  Mr.  Weyburn,  stating 
her  benevolent  ^'ishes  as  regarded  the  young  man  and 
"those  hateful  Memoirs,"  requesting  that  her  name 
should  not  be  mentioned  in  the  affair,  because  she  was 
anxious  on  all  grounds  to  have  the  proposal  accepted 
by  her  brother.  She  could  have  vowed  to  herself  that 
she  wrote  sincerely.  "  He  must  want  a  secretary.  He 
would  be  shy  at  an  offer  of  one  from  me.  Do  you  hint 
it,  if  you  get  a  chance.  You  gave  us  Mr.  Weyburn, 
and  Mr.  Eglett  and  I  like  him.  Ormont  would  too,  I 
am  certain.  You  have  obliged  him  before;  this  will  be 
better  than  anything  you  have  done  for  us.  It  will  stop 
the  Memoirs,  or  else  give  them  a  polish.  Your  young 
friend  has  made  me  laugh  over  stuff  taken  for  literature 
until  we  put  on  our  spectacles.  Leo  jogs  along  in  har- 
ness now,  and  may  do  some  work  at  school  yet." 

Having  posted  her  letter,  she  left  the  issue  to  chance, 
as  we  may  when  conscience  is  easy.  An  answer  came 
the  day  before  Weyburn's  departure.  Arthur  Abner 
had  met  Lord  Ormont  in  the  street,  had  spoken  of 
the  rumour  of  Memoirs  promised  to  the  world,  hinted 
at  the  possible  need  for  a  secretary;  "Lord  Ormont 
would  appoint  a  day  to  see  Mr.  Weyburn." 

Lady  Charlotte  considered  that  to  be  as  good  as  the 
engagement. 

"So  we  keep  you  in  the  family,"  she  said.  "And 
now  look  here:  you  ought  to  know  my  brother's  ways, 


THE   TUTOR  69 

if  you're  going  to  serve  him.  You'll  have  to  guess  at 
half  of  everything  he  tells  you;  he'll  expect  you  to 
know  the  whole.  There's  no  man  so  secret.  Why? 
he  fears  nothing.  I  can't  tell  why.  And  what  his 
mouth  shuts  on,  he  exposes  as  if  in  his  hand.  Of 
course  he's  proud,  and  good  reason.  You'll  see  when 
you  mustn't  offend.  A  lady's  in  the  house  —  I  hear 
of  it.  She  takes  his  name,  they  say.  She  may  be  a 
respectable  woman  —  I've  heard  no  scandal.  We  have 
to  hear  of  a  Lady  Ormont  out  of  Society !  We  have  to 
suppose  it  means  there's  not  to  be  a  real  one.  He  can't 
marry  if  he  has  allowed  her  to  go  about  bearing  his 
name.  She  has  a  fool  of  an  aunt,  I'm  told;  as  often  in 
the  house  as  not.  Good  proof  of  his  fondness  for  the 
woman,  if  he  swallows  half  a  year  of  the  aunt!  Well, 
you  won't,  unless  you've  mere  man's  eyes,  be  able  to 
help  seeing  him  try  to  hide  what  he  suffers  from  that 
aunt.  He  bears  it,  like  the  man  he  is ;  but  woe  to  an- 
other betraying  it!  She  has  a  tongue  that  goes  like  the 
reel  of  a  rod,  with  a  pike  bolting  out  of  the  shallows  to 
the  snag  he  knows  —  to  wind  round  it  and  defy  you  to 
pull.  Often  my  brother  Rowsley  and  I  have  fished  the 
day  long,  and  in  hard  weather,  and  brought  home  a 
basket;  and  he  boasted  of  it  more  than  of  anything 
he  has  ever  done  since.  That  woman  holds  him  away 
from  me  now.  I  say  no  harm  of  her.  She  may  l)e 
right  enough  from  her  point  of  view;  or  it  mayn't 
be  owing  to  her.     I  wouldn't  blame  a  Avoman.     Well, 


70  LORD    ORMONT   AND    HIS    AMINTA 

but  my  point  with  you  is,  you  swallow  the  woman's 
aunt  —  the  lady's  aunt  —  without  betraying  you  suffer 
at  all.  Lord  Ormont  has  eyes  of  an  eagle  for  a  speck 
above  the  surface.  All  the  more  because  the  aunt  is  a 
gabbling  idiot  does  he  —  I  say  it  seeing  it  —  fire  up  to 
defend  her  from  the  sneer  of  the  lip  or  half  a  sign  of 
it!  No,  you  would  be  on  your  guard;  I  can  trust  you. 
Of  course  you'd  behave  like  the  gentleman  you  are 
where  any  kind  of  woman's  concerned;  but  you  mustn't 
let  a  shadow  be  seen,  tliink  what  you  may.  The  woman 
—  lady  —  calling  herself  Lady  Ormont:  poor  woman,  I 
should  do  the  same  in  her  place,  —  she  has  a  hard  game 
to  play ;  I  have  to  be  for  my  family :  she  has  manners, 
I'm  told;  holds  herself  properly.  She  fancies  she  brings 
him  up  to  the  altar,  in  the  end,  by  decent  behaviour. 
That's  a  delusion.  It's  creditable  to  her,  only  she  can't 
understand  the  claims  of  the  family  upon  a  man  like 
my  brother.  When  you  have  spare  time  — '  kick-ups, ' 
he  used  to  call  it,  writing  to  me  from  school  —  come 
here;  you're  welcome,  after  three  days'  notice.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  see  you  again.  You've  gone  some  way  to 
make  a  man  of  Leo." 

He  liked  her  well :  he  promised  to  come.  She  was  a 
sinewy  bite  of  the  gentle  sex,  but  she  had  much  flavour, 
and  she  gave  nourishment. 

"Let  me  have  three  days'  notice,"  she  repeated. 

"Not  less.  Lady  Charlotte,"  said  he. 

Weyburn  received  intimation  from  Arthur  Abner  of 


RECOGNITION  71 

the  likely  day  Lord  Ormont  would  appoint,  and  he  left 
Olmer  for  London  to  hold  himself  in  readiness.  Lady 
Charlotte  and  Leo  drove  him  to  meet  the  coach.  Phi- 
lippa,  so  strangely  baffled  in  her  natural  curiosity,  begged 
for  a  seat;  she  begged  to  be  allowed  to  ride.  Peti- 
tions were  rejected.  She  stood  at  the  window  seeing 
"Grandmama's  tutor,"  as  she  named  him,  carried  off 
by  grandmama.  Her  nature  was  avenged  on  her  ty- 
rant grandmama:  it  brought  up  almost  to  her  tongue 
thoughts  which  would  have  remained  subterranean,  un- 
der control  of  her  habit  of  mind,  or  the  nursery's  mod- 
esty, if  she  had  been  less  tyrannically  treated.  They 
were  suMerranean  thoughts,  nature's  original,  such  as 
the  sense  of  injustice  will  rouse  in  young  women;  and 
they  are  better  unstirred,  for  they  ripen  girls  over-rapidly 
when  they  are  made  to  revolve  near  the  surface.  It  flashed 
on  the  girl  why  she  had  been  treated  tyrannically. 

** Grandmama  has  good  taste  in  tutors,"  was  all  that 
she  said  while  the  thoughts  rolled  over. 


CHAPTER  IV 

RECOGNITION 


Our  applicant  for  the  post  of  secretary  entered  the 
street  of  Lord  Ormont's  London  house,  to  present  him- 
self to  his  boyhood's  hero  by  appointment. 


72  LORD   ORMONT    AND    HIS   AMINTA 

He  was  to  see,  perhaps  to  serve,  the  great  soldier. 
Things  had  come  to  this ;  and  he  thought  it  singular. 
But  for  the  previous  introduction  to  Lady  Charlotte,  he 
would  have  thought  it  passing  wonderful.  He  ascribed 
it  to  the  whirligig. 

The  young  man  was  not  yet  of  an  age  to  gather 
knowledge  of  himself  and  of  life  from  his  present 
experience  of  the  fact,  that  passionate  devotion  to  an 
object  strikes  a  vein  through  circumstances,  as  a  travel- 
ling run  of  flame  darts  the  seeming  haphazard  zigzags  to 
catch  at  the  dry  of  dead  wood  amid  the  damp ;  and  when 
passion  has  become  quiescent  in  the  admirer,  there  is 
often  the  unsubsided  first  impulsion  carrying  it  on.  He 
will  almost  surely  embrace  his  idol  with  one  or  other  of 
the  senses. 

Weyburn  still  read  the  world  as  it  came  to  him,  by 
bits,  marvelling  at  this  and  that,  after  the  fashion  of 
most  of  us.  He  had  not  deserted  his  adolescent's  hero, 
or  fallen  upon  analysis  of  a  past  season.  But  he  was 
now  a  young  man,  stoutly  and  cognisantly  on  the  climb, 
with  a  good  aim  overhead,  and  green  youth's  enthusiasms 
a  step  below  his  heels  :  one  of  the  lovers  of  life,  beautiful 
to  behold,  when  we  spy  into  them ;  generally  their  aspect 
is  an  enlivenment,  whatever  may  be  the  carving  of  their 
features.  For  the  sake  of  holy  unity,  this  lover  of  life, 
whose  gaze  was  to  the  front  in  hungry  animation,  held 
fast  to  his  young  dreams,  perceiving  a  soul  of  meaning 
in  them,  though  the  fire  might  have  gone  out ;  and  he 


RECOGNITION  73 

confessed  to  a  past  pursuit  of  delusions.  Young  men  of 
his  kind  will  have,  for  the  like  reason,  a  similar  rational 
sentiment  on  behalf  of  our  world's  historic  forward 
march,  while  admitting  that  history  has  to  be  taken  from 
far  backward  if  we  would  gain  assurance  of  man's 
advance.     It  nerves  an  admonished  ambition. 

He  was  ushered  into  a  London  house's  library,  looking 
over  a  niggard  enclosure  of  gravel  and  dull  grass,  against 
a  wall  where  ivy  dribbled.  An  armchair  was  beside  the 
fireplace.  To  right  and  left  of  it  a  floreate  company  of 
books  in  high  cases,  paraded  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with- 
out a  gap,  grenadiers  on  the  line.  Weyburn  read  the 
titles  on  their  scarlet-and-blue  facings.  They  were  ap- 
proved English  classics ;  honoured  veterans,  who  have 
emerged  from  the  conflict  with  contemporary  opinion, 
stamped  excellent,  or  have  been  pushed  by  the  roar  of 
contemporaneous  applauses  to  wear  the  leather-and-gilt 
uniform  of  our  Immortals,  until  a  more  qualmish  poster- 
ity disgorges  them.  The  books  had  costly  bindings. 
Lord  Ormont's  treatment  of  literature  appeared  to 
resemble  Lady  Charlotte's,  in  being  reverential  and  un- 
inquiring.  The  books  she  bought  to  read  were  Memoirs 
of  her  time  by  dead  men  and  women  once  known  to  her. 
These  did  fatigue  duty  in  cloth  or  undress.  It  was  high 
drill  with  all  of  Lord  Ormont's  books,  and  there  was  not 
a  modern  or  a  minor  name  among  the  regiments.  They 
smelt  strongly  of  the  bookseller's  lump  lots  by  order; 
but  if  a  show  suldiery,  they  were  not  a  sham,  like  a  cer- 


74  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

tain  row  of  venerably-titled  backs,  that  Lady  Charlotte, 
without  scruple,  left  standing  to  blow  an  ecclesiastical 
trumpet  of  empty  contents ;  any  one  might  have  his 
battle  of  brains  with  them,  for  the  turning  of  an  absent 
key. 

The  door  opened.  Weyburn  bowed  to  his  old  star  in 
human  shape :  a  grey  head  on  square  shoulders  filling  the 
doorway.  He  had  seen  at  Olmer  Lady  Charlotte's  treas- 
ured miniature  portrait  of  her  brother ;  a  perfect  likeness, 
she  said —  complaining  the  next  instant  of  injustice  done 
to  the  fire  of  his  look. 

Fire  was  low  down  behind  the  eyes  at  present.  They 
were  quick  to  scan  and  take  summary  of  their  object,  as 
the  young  man  felt  while  observing  for  himself.  Height 
and  build  of  body  were  such  as  might  be  expected  in  the 
brother  of  Lady  Charlotte  and  from  the  tales  of  his 
prowess.  Weyburn  had  a  glance  back  at  Cuper's  boys 
listening  to  the  tales. 

The  soldier-lord's  manner  was  courteously  military  — 
that  of  an  established  superior  indifferent  to  the  defer- 
ential attitude  he  must  needs  exact.  His  curt  nick  of 
the  head,  for  a  response  to  the  visitor's  formal  salutation, 
signified  the  requisite  acknowledgment,  like  a  city  credi- 
tor's busy  stroke  of  the  type-stamp  receipt  upon  payment. 

The  ceremony  over,  he  pitched  a  bugle  voice  to  fit  the 
contracted  area :  "  I  hear  from  Mr.  Abner  that  you  have 
made  acquaintance  with  Olmer.  Good  hunting  country 
there." 


I 


RECOGNITION  76 

"  Lady  Charlotte  kindly  gave  me  a  mount,  my  lord." 
''I  knew  your  father  by  name — Colonel  Sidney  Wey- 
burn.      You   lost   him   at   Toulouse.     We   were   in   the 
Peninsula;  I  was  at  Talavera  with  him.     Bad  day  for 
our  cavalry." 

"Our  officers  were  young  at  their  work  then." 
"  They  taught  the  Emperor's  troops  to  respect  a  charge 
of  English  horse.     It  was  teaching  their  fox  to  set  traps 
for  them." 

Lord  Ormont  indicated  a  chair.     He  stood. 
"The   French   had   good   cavalry  leaders,"   Weyburn 
said,  for  cover  to  a  continued  study  of  the  face. 

"  Montbrun,  yes  ;  Murat,  Lassalle,  Bessieres.     Under 
the  Emperor  they  had." 

"  You  think  them  not  at  home  in  the  saddle,  my  lord  ?  " 

"Frenchmen   have  nerves;  horses  are  nerves.     They 

pile  excitement   too  high.     When   cool,  they're   among 

the  best.     None  of  them  had  head  for  command  of  all 

the  arms." 

"  One  might  say  the  same  of  Seidlitz  and  Ziethen  ?  " 
"Of  Ziethen.  Seidlitz  had  a  wider  grasp,  I  suppose." 
He  pursed  his  mouth,  pondering.  "  No ;  and  in  the 
Austrian  service,  too ;  generals  of  cavalry  are  left  to 
whistle  for  an  independent  command.  There's  a  jeal- 
ousy of  our  branch ! "  The  injured  warrior  frowned 
and  hummed.  He  spoke  his  thought  mildly  :  "  Jealousy 
of  the  name  of  soldier  in  this  country !  Out  of  the 
service,  is  the  place  to  recommend.     I'd   have  advised 


76  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

a  son  of  mine  to  train  for  a  jockey  rather  than  enter  it. 
We  deal  with  that  to-morrow,  in  my  papers.  You  come 
to  me  ?  Mr.  Abner  has  arranged  the  terms  ?  So  I  see 
you  at  ten  in  the  morning.  I  am  glad  to  meet  a  young 
man — Englishman — who  takes  an  interest  in  the  service." 

AVeyburn  fancied  the  hearing  of  a  step ;  he  heard  the 
whispering  dress.  It  passed  him  ;  a  lady  went  to  the 
armchair.  She  took  her  seat,  as  she  had  moved,  with 
sedateness,  the  exchange  of  a  toneless  Avord  with  my 
lord.  She  was  a  brune.  He  saw  that  when  he  rose  to 
do  homage. 

Lord  Ormont  resumed :  "  Some  are  born  to  it,  must  be 
soldiers;  and  in  peace  they  are  snubbed  by  the  heads; 
in  war  they  are  abused  by  the  country.  They  don't 
understand  in  England  how  to  treat  an  army;  how  to 
make  one  either ! 

"The  gentleman  —  Mr.  Weyburn:  Mr,  Arthur  Abner's 
recommendation,"  he  added,  hurriedly,  with  a  light  wave 
of  his  hand  and  a  murmur,  that  might  be  the  lady's 
title;  continuing:  "A  young  man  of  military  tastes 
should  take  service  abroad.  They're  in  earnest  about 
it  over  there.  Here  they  play  at  it;  and  an  army's 
shipped  to  land  without  commissariat,  ambulances,  med- 
ical stores,  and  march  against  the  odds,  as  usual  —  if  it 
can  march ! " 

"  Albuera,  my  lord  ?  " 

"Our  men  can  spurt,  for  a  flick  o'  the  whip.  They're 
expected  to  be  constantly  ready  for  doing   prodigies  — 


RECOGNITION  77 

to  repair  the  country's  omissions.  All  the  country  cares 
for  is  to  hope  Dick  Turpin  may  get  to  York.  Our  men 
are  good  beasts ;  they  give  the  best  in  'em,  and  drop. 
More's  the  scandal  to  a  country  that  has  grand  material 
and  overtasks  it.     A  blazing  disaster  ends  the  chapter !  " 

This  was  talk  of  an  injured  veteran.  It  did  not  deepen 
the  hue  of  his  ruddied  skin.  He  spoke  in  the  tone  of 
matter  of  fact.  Weybixrn  had  been  prepared  for  some- 
thing of  the  sort  by  his  friend,  Arthur  Abner.  He 
noted  the  speaker's  heightened  likeness  under  excite- 
ment to  Lady  Charlotte.  Excitement  came  at  an  early 
call  of  their  voices  to  both;  and  both  had  handsome, 
open  features,  bluntly  cut,  nothing  of  aquiline  or  the 
supercilious ;  eyes  bluish  grey,  in  arched  recesses,  horny 
between  the  thick  lids,  lively  to  shoot  their  meaning 
when  the  trap-mouth  was  active;  effectively  expressing 
promptitude  for  combat,  pleasure  in  attack,  wrestle,  tug, 
whatever  pertained  to  strife ;  an  absolute  sense  of  their 
right. 

As  there  was  a  third  person  present  at  this  discussion 
of  military  topics,  the  silence  of  the  lady  drew  Weyburn 
to  consult  her  opinion  in  her  look. 

It  was  on  him.  Strange  are  the  woman's  eyes  which 
can  unofCendingly  assume  the  privilege  to  dwell  on  such 
a  living  object  as  a  man  without  becoming  gateways  for 
his  return  look,  and  can  seem  in  pursuit  of  thoughts 
while  they  enfold.  They  were  large  dark  eyes,  eyes 
of   southern   night.      They  sped   no  shot ;    they  rolled 


78  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

forth  an  envelopment.  A  child  among  toys,  caught  to 
think  of  other  toys,  may  gaze  in  that  Avay.  But  these 
were  a  woman's  eyes. 

He  gave  Lord  Ormont  his  whole  face,  as  an  auditor 
should.  He  was  interested  besides,  as  he  told  a  ruffled 
conscience.  He  fell  upon  the  study  of  his  old  hero 
determinedly. 

The  pain  of  a  memory  waking  under  pillows,  unable 
to  do  more  than  strain  for  breath,  distracted  his  atten- 
tion. There  was  a  memory:  that  was  all  he  knew.  Or 
else  he  would  have  lashed  himself  for  hanging  on  the 
beautiful  eyes  of  a  woman.  To  be  seeing  and  hearing 
his  old  hero  was  wonder  enough. 

Recollections  of  Lady  Charlotte's  plain  hints  regard- 
ing the  lady  present  resolved  to  the  gross  retort,  that 
her  eyes  were  beautiful.  And  he  knew  them — there 
lay  the  strangeness.  They  were  known  beautiful  eyes, 
in  a  foreign  land  of  night  and  mist. 

Lord  Ormont  was  discoursing  with  racy  eloquence 
of  our  hold  on  India :  his  views  in  Avhich  respect  were 
those  of  Cuper's  boys.  Weyburn  ventured  a  dot-run- 
ning description  of  the  famous  ride,  and  out  flew  an 
English  soldier's  grievance.  But  was  not  the  unjustly- 
treated  great  soldier  well  rewarded,  whatever  the 
snubs  and  the  bitterness,  with  these  large  dark  eyes 
in  his  house,  for  his  own  ?  Eyes  like  these  are  the 
beginning  of  a  young  man's  world  ;  they  nerve,  inspire, 
arm  him,  colour  his  life ;  he  would  labour,  fight,  die  for 


BECOGNITION  79 

them.  It  seemed  to  Weyburn  a  blessedness  even  to 
behold  them.  So  it  had  been  with  him  at  the  early 
stage ;  and  his  heart  went  swifter,  memory  fetched  a 
breath.  Memory  quivered  eyelids,  when  the  thought 
returned —  of  his  having  known  eyes  as  lustrous.  First 
lights  of  his  world,  they  had  more  volume,  warmth, 
mystery  —  were  sweeter.  Still,  these  in  the  room  were 
sisters  to  them.  They  quickened  throbs;  they  seemed 
a  throb  of  the  heart  made  visible.  ^ 

That  was  their  endowment  of  light  and  lustre  simply, 
and  the  mystical  curve  of  the  lids.  For  so  they  could 
look  only  because  the  heart  was  disengaged  from  them. 
They  were  but  heavenly  orbs. 

The  lady's  elbow  was  on  an  arm  of  her  chair,  her 
forefinger  at  her  left  temple.  Her  mind  was  away,  one 
might  guess ;  she  could  hardly  be  interested  in  talk  of 
soldiering  and  of  foreign  army  systems,  jealous  English 
authorities  and  officials,  games,  field-sports.  She  had 
personal  matters  to  think  of. 

Adieu  until  to-morrow  to  the  house  she  inhabited ! 
The  street  was  a  banishment  and  a  relief  when 
Weyburn's  first  interview  with  Lord  Ormont  was 
over. 

He  rejoiced  to  tell  his  previous  anticipations  that  he 
had  not  been  disappointed ;  and  he  bade  hero-worship- 
pers expect  no  gilded  figure.  We  gather  heroes  as  we 
go,  if  we  are  among  the  growing :  our  constancy  is 
shown  in  the  not  discarding  of  our  old  ones.     He  held 


80  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

to  his  earlier  hero,  though  he  had  seen  him,  and  though 
he  could  fancy  he  saw  round  him. 

Another,  too,  had  been  a  hero-lover.  How  did  that 
lady  of  night's  eyes  come  to  fall  into  her  subjection  ? 

He  put  no  question  as  to  the  name  she  bore  ;  it  hung 
in  a  black  suspense  —  vividly  at  its  blackest  illuminated 
her  possessor.  A  man  is  a  hero  to  some  effect  who 
wins  a  woman  like  this ;  and,  if  his  glory  bespells  her, 
so  that  she  flings  all  to  the  winds  for  him,  burns  the 
world ;  if,  for  solely  the  desperate  rapture  of  belonging 
to  him,  she  consents  of  her  free  will  to  be  one  of  the 
nameless  and  discoloured,  he  shines  in  a  way  to  make 
the  marrow  of  men  thrill  with  a  burning  envy.  For 
that  must  be  the  idolatrous  devotion  desired  by  them 
all. 

Weyburn  struck  down  upon  his  man's  nature  —  the 
bad  in  us,  when  beauty  of  woman  is  viewed ;  or  say,  the 
old  original  revolutionary,  best  kept  untouched;  for  a 
touch  or  a  meditative  pause  above  him,  fetches  him  up 
to  roam  the  civilised  world  devouringly  and  lawlessly. 
It  is  the  special  peril  of  the  young  lover  of  life,  that  an 
inflammability  to  beauty  in  women  is  at  a  breath  intense 
with  him.  He  is,  in  truth,  a  thinly  sealed  volcano  of 
our  imperishable  ancient  father,  and  has  it  in  him  to  be 
the  multitudinously-amorous  of  the  mythologic  Jove. 
Give  him  head,  he  can  be  civilisation's  devil.  Is  she 
fair  and  under  a  shade?  —  then  is  she  doubly  fair.  The 
shadow  about  her  secretes  mystery,  just  as  the  forest 


RECOGNITION  81 

breeds  romance :  and  mystery  is  a  measureless  realm. 
If  we  conceive  it,  we  have  a  mysterious  claim  on  her 
who  is  the  heart  of  it. 

He  marched  on  that  road  to  the  music  of  sonorous 
brass  for  some  drunken  minutes. 

The  question  came,  What  of  the  man  who  takes  ad- 
vantage of  her  self-sacrifice  ? 

It  soon  righted  him,  and  he  did  Lord  Ormont  justice, 
and  argued  the  case  against  Lady  Charlotte's  naked  hints. 

This  dark-eyed  heroine's  bearing  was  assured,  beyond 
an  air  of  dependency.  Her  deliberate  short  nod  to  him 
at  his  leave-taking,  and  the  toneless  few  words  she  threw 
to  my  lord,  signified  sufficiently  that  she  did  not  stand 
defying  the  world  or  dreading  it. 

She  had  by  miracle  the  eyes  which  had  once  charmed 
him  —  could  again  —  would  always  charm.  She  reminded 
him  of  Aminta  Farrell's  very  eyes  under  the  couchant- 
dove  brows  —  something  of  her  mouth,  the  dimple  run- 
ning from  a  corner.  She  had,  as  Aminta  had,  the 
self-collected  and  self-cancelled  look,  a  realm  in  a  look, 
that  was  neither  depth  nor  fervour,  nor  a  bestowal,  nor 
an  allurement;  nor  was  it  an  exposure,  though  there 
seemed  no  reserve.  One  would  be  near  the  meaning  in 
declaring  it  to  bewilder  men  with  the  riddle  of  open- 
handedness.  We  read  it  —  all  may  read  it  —  as  we  read 
inexplicable  plain  life ;  in  which  let  us  have  a  confiding 
mind,  despite  the  blows  at  our  heart,  and  some  under- 
standing will  enter  us. 


82  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

He  shut  the  door  upon  picture  and  speculations,  re- 
turning to  them  by  another  door.  The  lady  had  not 
Aminta's  freshness  :  she  might  be  taken  for  an  elder 
sister  of  Aminta.  But  Weyburu  wanted  to  have  her 
position  defined  before  he  set  her  beside  Aminta.  He 
writhed  under  Lady  Charlotte's  tolerating  scorn  of  "  the 
yovmg  woman."  It  roused  an  uneasy  sentiment  of  semi- 
hostility  in  the  direction  of  my  lord  ;  and  he  had  no 
personal  complaint  to  make. 

Lord  Ormont  was  cordial  on  the  day  of  the  secretary's 
installation ;  as  if  —  if  one  might  dare  to  guess  it  — 
some  one  had  helped  him  to  a  friendly  judgment. 

The  lady  of  Aminta's  eyes  was  absent  at  the  luncheon 
table.  She  came  into  the  room  a  step,  to  speak  to  Lord 
Ormont,  dressed  for  a  drive  to  pay  a  visit. 

The  secretary  was  unnoticed. 

Lord  Ormont  put  inquiries  to  him  at  table,  for  the 
why  of  his  having  avoided  the  profession  of  arms ;  and 
apparently  considered  that  the  secretary  had  made  a 
mistake,  and  that  he  would  have  committed  a  greater 
error  in  becoming  a  soldier  — "  in  this  country."  A 
man  with  a  grievance  is  illogical  under  his  burden.  He 
mentioned  the  name  "  Lady  Ormont "  distinctly  during 
some  remarks  on  travel.  Lady  Ormont  preferred  the 
Continent. 

Two  days  later  she  came  to  the  armchair,  as  before, 
met  Weyburn's  eyes  when  he  raised  them ;  gave  him  no 
home  in  hers  —  not  a  temporary  shelter  from  the  pelt- 


RECOGNITION  83 

ing  of  interrogations.  She  hardly  spoke.  Why  did  she 
come  ? 

But  how  was  it  that  he  was  drawn  to  think  of  her  ? 
Absent  or  present,  she  was  round  him,  like  the  hills  of 
a  valley.  She  was  round  his  thoughts  —  caged  them ; 
however  high,  however  far  they  flew,  they  were  con- 
scious of  her. 

She  took  her  place  at  the  midday  meal.  She  had 
Aminta's  voice  in  some  tones ;  a  mellower  than  Aminta's 
—  the  voice  of  one  of  Aminta's  family.  She  had  the 
trick  of  Aminta's  upper  lip  in  speaking.  Her  look  on 
him  was  foreign;  a  civil  smile  as  they  conversed.  She 
was  very  much  at  home  with  my  lord,  whom  she  rallied 
for  his  addiction  to  his  Club  at  a  particular  hour  of  the 
afternoon.  She  conversed  readily.  She  reminded  him 
incidentally  that  her  aunt  would  arrive  early  next  day. 
He  informed  her,  some  time  after,  of  an  engagement 
"  to  tiffin  with  a  brother  officer,"  and  she  nodded. 

They  drove  away  together  while  the  secretary  was  at 
his  labour  of  sorting  the  heap  of  autobiographical  scraps 
in  a  worn  dispatch-box,  pen  and  pencil  jottings  tossed 
to  swell  the  mass  when  they  had  relieved  an  angry 
reminiscence.  He  noticed,  heedlessly  at  the  moment, 
feminine  handwriting  on  some  few  clear  sheets  among 
them. 

Next  day  he  was  alone  in  the  library.  He  sat  before 
the  box,  opened  it  and  searched,  merely  to  quiet  his 
annoyance  for  having  left  those  sheets  of  the  fair  amanu- 


84  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ensis  unexamined.  They  were  not  discoverable.  They 
had  gone. 

He  stood  up  at  the  stir  of  the  door.  It  was  she,  and  she 
acknowledged  his  bow ;    she  took  her  steps  to  her  chair. 

He  was  informed  that  Lord  Ormont  had  an  engage- 
ment, and  he  remarked,  ^'  I  can  do  the  work  very  well." 
She  sat  quite  silent. 

He  read  first  lines  of  the  scraps,  laid  them  in  various 
places,  as  in  a  preparation  for  conjurer's  tricks  at  cards ; 
refraining  from  a  glance,  lest  he  should  disconcert  the 
eyes  he  felt  to  be  on  him  fitfully. 

At  last  she  spoke,  and  he  knew  Aminta  in  his  hearing 
and  sight. 

"  Is  Emile  Grenat  still  anglomane  ?  " 

An  instant  before  her  voice  was  heard  he  had  been 
persuading  himself  that  the  points  of  unlikeness  be- 
tween his  young  Aminta  and  this  tall  and  stately  lady 
of  the  proud  reserve  in  her  bearing  flouted  the  resem- 
blance. 


CHAPTER  V 


IN  WHICH  THE  SHADES  OF  BKOWNY  AND  MATEY 
ADVANCE  AND  RETIRE 

"  Emile  is  as  anglomane  as  ever,  and  not  a  bit  less  a 
Frenchman,"  Weyburn  said,  in  a  tone  of  one  who  muflies 
a  shock  at  the  heart. 


BROWNY  AND  MATEY  ADVANCE   AND   RETIRE      85 

"  It  would  be  the  poorer  compliment  to  us,"  she 
rejoined. 

They  looked  at  one  another  ;  she  dropped  her  eyelids, 
he  looked  away. 

She  had  the  grand  manner  by  nature.  She  was  the 
woman  of  the  girl  once  known. 

"  A  soldier,  is  he  ?  " 

"  Emile's  profession  and  mine  are  much  alike,  or  will 
be." 

"  A  secretary  ?  " 

Her  deadness  of  accent  was  not  designed  to  carry  her 
opinion  of  the  post  of  secretary. 

It  brought  the  reply :  "We  hope  to  be  schoolmasters." 

She  drew  in  a  breath ;  there  was  a  thin  short  voice, 
hardly  voice,  as  when  one  of  the  unschooled  minor  feel- 
ings has  been  bruised.     After  a  while  she  said  : 

"Does  he  think  it  a  career  ?  " 

"  Not  brilliant." 

"  He  was  formed  for  a  soldier." 

"  He  had  to  go  as  the  road  led." 

"A  young  man  renouncing  ambition  !  " 

"  Considering  what  we  can  do  best." 

"  It  signifies  the  taste  for  what  he  does." 

"Certainly  that." 

Weyburn  had  senses  to  read  the  word  "schoolmaster  " 
in  repetition  behind  her  shut  mouth.  He  was  sharply 
sensible  of  a  fall. 

The  task  with  his  papers  occupied  him.     If  he  had  a 


86  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AIVHNTA 

wish,  it  was  to  sink  so  low  in  her  esteem  as  to  be 
spurned.  A  kick  would  have  been  a  refreshment.  Yet 
he  was  unashamed  of  the  cause  invoking  it.  We  are 
instruments  to  the  touch  of  certain  women,  and  made  to 
play  strange  tunes. 

"  Mr.  Cuper  flourishes  ?  " 

"  The  school  exists.  I  have  not  been  down  there.  I 
met  Mr.  Shalders  yesterday.     He  has  left  the  school." 

"  You  come  up  from  Olmer  ?  " 

"  I  was  at  Olmer  last  week,  Lady  Ormont." 

An  involuntary  beam  from  her  eyes  thanked  him  for 
her  title  at  that  juncture  of  the  dialogue.  She  grew 
more  spirited. 

"  Mr.  Shalders  has  joined  the  Dragoons,  has  he  ?  " 

"  The  worthy  man  has  a  happy  imagination.  He  goes 
through  a  campaign  daily." 

"  It  seems  to  one  to  dignify  his  calling." 

"  I  like  his  enthusiasm." 

The  lady  withdrew  into  her  thoughts  ;  Weyburn  fell 
upon  his  work. 

Mention  of  the  military  cloak  of  enthusiasm  covering 
Shalders,  brought  the  scarce  credible  old  time  to  smite 
at  his  breast,  in  the  presence  of  these  eyes.  A  ringing 
of  her  title  of  Lady  Ormont  rendered  the  present  time 
the  incredible. 

"  I  can  hardly  understand  a  young  Frenchman's  not 
entering  the  army,"  she  said. 

"  The  Napoleonic  legend  is  weaker  now,"  said  he. 


BROWNY  AND   MATEY   ADVANCE  AND   RETIRE      87 

"  The  son  of  an  officer  !  " 

''Grandson." 

"  It  was  his  choice  to  be,  —  he  gave  it  up  without 
reluctance  ?  " 

"Emile  obeyed  the  command  of  his  parents,"  Wey- 
burn  answered;  and  he  was  obedient  to  the  veiled  di- 
rection of  her  remark,  in  speaking  of  himself:  "  I  had 
a  reason,  too." 

"  One  wonders  !  " 

"  It  would  have  impoverished  my  mother's  income 
to  put  aside  a  small  allowance  for  me  for  years.  She 
would  not  have  hesitated.  I  then  set  my  mind  on  the 
profession  of  schoolmaster." 

"Emile  Grenat  was  a  brave  boy.    Has  he  no  regrets?" 

"  Neither  of  us  has  a  regret." 

"  He  began  ambitiously." 

"  It's  the  way  at  the  beginning." 

"  It  is  not  usually  abjured." 

"  I'm  afraid  we  neither  of  us  '  dignify  our  calling,' 
by  discontent  with  it !  " 

A  dusky  flush,  worth  seeing,  came  on  her  cheeks. 
"  I  respect  enthusiasms,"  she  said,  and  it  was  as  good 
to  him  to  hear  as  the  begging  pardon,  though  clearly  she 
could  not  understand  enthusiasm  for  the  schoolmaster's 
career. 

Light  of  evidence  was  before  him,  that  she  had  a 
friendly  curiosity  to  know  what  things  had  led  to  their 
new  meeting  under  these  conditions.     He  sketched  them 


88  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

cursorily  :  there  was  little  to  tell  —  little,  that  is,  appeal- 
ing to  a  romantic  mind  for  interest.  Aware  of  it,  by 
sympathy,  he  degraded  the  narrative  to  a  flatness  about 
as  cheering  as  a  suburban  London  Sunday's  promenade. 
Sympathy  caused  the  perverseness.  He  felt  her  disillu- 
sionment, felt  with  it  and  spread  a  feast  of  it.  She  had 
to  hear  of  studies  at  Caen  and  at  a  Paris  Lycee ;  French 
fairly  mastered ;  German,  the  same ;  Italian,  the  same ; 
after  studies  at  Heidelberg,  Asti  and  Florence ;  between 
four  and  five  months  at  Athens  (he  was  needlessly  pre- 
cise), in  tutorship  with  a  young  nobleman:  no  events, 
nor  a  spot  of  colour.  Thus  did  he  wilfully,  with  pain  to 
himself,  put  an  extinguisher  on  the  youth  painted  bril- 
liant and  eminent  in  a  maiden's  imagination. 

"  So  there  can  no  louger  be  thought  of  the  army,"  she 
remarked;  and  the  remark  had  a  sort  of  sigh,  though 
her  breathing  was  equable. 

"  Unless  a  big  war  knocks  over  all  rules  and  the  coun- 
try comes  praying  us  to  serve,"  he  said. 

"You  would  not  refuse  then  ?" 

"  Not  in  case  of  need.  One  may  imagine  a  crisis  when 
they  Avould  give  commissions  to  men  of  my  age  or  older 
for  the  cavalry  —  heavy  losses  of  officers." 

She  spoke,  as  if  urged  by  a  sting  to  revert  to  the  dis- 
tasteful: "That  profession  —  must  you  not  take  .  .  . 
enter  into  orders  if  you  would  ...  if  3'ou  aim  at  any 
distinction  ?  " 

"And  a  member  of  the  Anglican  Church  would  not  be 


BROWNY  AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND    RETIRE      89 

allowed  to  exchange  his  frock  for  a  cavalry  sabre,"  said 
he.  "That  is  true.  I  do  not  propose  to  settle  as  a 
schoolmaster  in  England." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  On  the  Continent." 

"Would  not  America  be  better  ?  " 

"  It  would  not  so  well  suit  the  purpose  in  view  for  us." 

"  There  are  others  besides  ?  " 

"  Besides  ifimile,  there  is  a  German  and  an  Italian  and 
a  Swiss." 

"  It  is  a  Company  ?  " 

"  A  Company  of  schoolmasters  !  Companies  of  all 
kinds  are  forming.  Colleges  are  Companies.  And  they 
have  their  collegians.  Our  aim  is  ^t  pupils ;  we  have  no 
ambition  for  any  title  higher  than  School  and  School- 
master ;  it  is  not  a  Company." 

So,  like  Nature  parading  her  skeleton  to  youthful 
adorers  of  her  face,  he  insisted  on  reducing  to  hideous 
material  wreck  the  fair  illusion,  which  had  once  arrayed 
him  in  alluring  promise. 

She  explained :  "  I  said,  America.  You  would  be 
among  Protestants  in  America." 

"Catholics  and  Protestants  are  both  welcome  to  us, 
according  to  our  scheme.  And  Germans,  French,  Eng- 
lish, Americans,  Italians,  if  they  will  come ;  Spaniards 
and  Portuguese,  and  Scandinavians,  Russians  as  well. 
And  Jews ;  Mahommedans,  too,  if  only  they  will  come ! 
The  more  mixed,  the  more  it  hits  our  object." 


90  LORD    ORMONT   AND    HIS    AMINTA 

"  You  have  not  stated  where  on  the  Continent  it  is  to 
be." 

''  The  spot  fixed  on  is  in  Switzerland." 

*'  You  will  have  scenery." 

"  I  hold  to  that,  as  an  influence." 

A  cool  vision  of  the  Bernese  Alps  encircled  the  young 
schoolmaster ;  and  she  said,  "  It  would  influence  girls,  I 
daresay." 

"  A  harder  matter  Avith  boys,  of  course  —  at  first.  We 
think  we  may  make  it  serve." 

"  And  where  is  the  spot  ?     Is  that  fixed  on  ?  " 

"Fifteen  miles  from  Berne,  on  elevated  land,  neigh- 
bouring a  water,  not  quite  to  be  called  a  lake,  unless  in 
an  auctioneer's  advertisement." 

"  1  am  glad  of  the  lake.  I  could  not  look  on  a  country 
home  where  there  was  no  swimming.  You  will  be  head 
of  the  school  ?  " 

"  There  must  be  a  head." 

"  Is  the  school  likely  to  be  established  soon  ?  " 

He  fell  into  her  dead  tone :  "  Money  is  required  for 
establishments.  I  have  a  Reversion  coming  some  day ; 
I  don't  dabble  in  jjost  obits." 

He  waited  for  further  questions.     They  were  at  an  end. 

"  You  have  your  work  to  do,  Mr.  Weyburn." 

Saying  that,  she  bowed  an  implied  apology  for  having 
kept  him  from  it,  and  rose.  She  bowed  again  as  she 
passed  through  the  doorway,  in  acknowledgment  of  his 
politeness. 


BEOWNY   AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND    RETIRE      91 

Here,  then,  was  the  end  of  the  story  of  Browny  and 
Matey.  Such  was  his  thought  under  the  truncheon- 
stroke  of  their  colloquy.  Lines  of  Browny's  letters  were 
fiery  waving  ribands  about  him,  while  the  coldly  gracious 
bow  of  the  lady  wrote  Finis. 

The  gulf  between  the  two  writings  remained  un- 
sounded. It  gave  a  heave  to  the  old  passion,  but 
stirred  no  new  one;  he  had  himself  in  hand  now, 
and  he  shut  himself  up  when  the  questions  bred  of 
amazement  buzzed  and  threatened  to  storm.  After  all, 
what  is  not  curious  in  this  world  ?  The  curious  thing 
would  be  if  curious  things  should  fail  to  happen.  Men 
have  been  saying  it  since  they  began  to  count  and  turn 
corners.  And  let  us  hold  off  from  speculating  when 
there  is  or  but  seems  a  shadow  of  unholiness  over  that 
mole-like  business.  There  shall  be  no  questions ;  and  as 
to  feelings,  the  same.  They,  if  petted  for  a  moment 
beneath  the  shadow,  corrupt  our  blood.  Weyburn  was 
a  man  to  have  them  by  the  throat  at  the  birth. 

Still  they  thronged ;  heavy  work  of  strangling  had  to 
be  done.  Her  tone  of  disappointment  with  the  school- 
master bit  him,  and  it  flattered  him.  The  feelings  leapt 
alive,  equally  venomous  from  the  Avound  and  the  caress. 
They  pushed  to  see,  had  to  be  repelled  from  seeing,  the 
girl  Browny  in  the  splendid  woman ;  they  had  lightning 
memories:  not  the  pain  of  his  grip  could  cheek  their 
voice  on  the  theme  touching  her  happiness  or  the  re- 
verse.    And  this  was  an  infernal  cunning.     He  paused 


92  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

perforce  to  inquire,  giving  them  space  for  the  breeding 
of  their  multitudes.  Was  she  happy?  Did  she  not 
seem  too  meditative,  enclosed,  toneless,  at  her  age  ? 
Vainly  the  persecuted  fellow  said  to  himself:  "But 
what  is  it  to  me  now  ?  "  —  The  Browny  days  were  over. 
The  passion  for  the  younger  Aminta  was  over  —  buried; 
and  a  dream  of  power  belonging  to  those  days  was  not 
yet  more  than  visionary.  It  had  moved  her  once,  when 
it  was  a  young  soldier's.  She  treated  the  schoolmaster's 
dream  as  vapour,  and  the  old  days  as  dead  and  ghostless. 
She  did  rightly.  How  could  they  or  she  or  he  be  other 
than  they  were ! 

With  that  sage  exclamation,  he  headed  into  the 
Browny  days  and  breasted  them ;  and  he  had  about  him 
the  living  foamy  sparkle  of  the  very  time,  until  the 
Countess  of  Ormont  breathed  the  word  "School- 
master"; when,  at  once,  it  was  dusty  land  where  buoy- 
ant waters  had  been,  and  the  armies  of  the  facts,  in 
uniform  drab,  with  some  feathers  and  laces,  and  a  sig- 
nificant surpliced  figure,  decorously  covering  the  wildest 
of  Cupids,  marched  the  standard  of  the  winking  gold- 
piece,  which  is  their  nourishing  sun  and  eclipser  of  all 
suns  that  foster  dreams. 

As  you  perceive,  he  was  drawing  swiftly  to  the  vortex 
of  the  fools,  and  round  and  round  he  went,  lucky  to 
float. 

His  view  of  the  business  of  the  schoolmaster  plucked 
him  from  the  whirl.     She  despised  it;   he  upheld  it. 


BROWNY   AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND   RETIRE      93 

He  stuck  to  his  view,  finding  their  antagonism  on  the 
subject  wholesome  for  him.  All  that  she  succeeded  in 
doing  was  to  rob  it  of  the  aurora  colour  clothing  every- 
thing on  which  Matey  We3'burn  set  his  aim.  Her  con- 
tempt of  it,  whether  as  a  profession  in  itself  or  as  one 
suitable  to  the  former  young  enthusiast  for  arms, 
dwarfed  it  to  appear  like  the  starved  plants  under 
Greenland  skies.  But  those  are  of  a  sturdy  genus; 
they  mean  to  live ;  they  live,  perforce,  of  the  right  to 
live;  they  will  prove  their  right  in  a  coming  season, 
when  some  one  steps  near  and  wonders  at  them,  and  from 
more  closely  observing,  gets  to  understand,  learning  that 
the  significance  and  the  charm  of  earth  will  be  as 
well  shown  by  them  as  by  her  tropical  fair  Saunters  or 
the  tenderly-nurtured  exotics. 

An  unopened  coffer  of  things  to  be  said  in  defence  of 
—  no,  on  behalf  of  —  no,  in  honour  of  the  Profession  of 
Schoolmaster,  perhaps  to  the  convincing  of  Aminta, 
Lady  Ormont,  was  glanced  at ;  a  sentence  or  two  leapt 
out  and  stepped  forward,  and  had  to  retire.  He  pre- 
ferred to  the  fathering  of  tricky,  windy  phrases,  the 
being  undervalued  —  even  by  her.  He  was  taught  to 
see  again  how  Khetoric  haunts,  and  Rhetoric  bedevils, 
the  vindication  of  the  clouded,  especially  in  the  case  of 
a  disesteemed  Profession  requiring  one  to  raise  it  and 
impose  it  upon  the  antagonistic  senses  for  the  bewilder- 
ing of  the  mind.  One  has  to  sound  it  loudly ;  there  is 
no  treating  it,  as  in  the  advocacy  of  the  cases  of  flesh 


94  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

and  bloodj  with  the  masterly  pathos  of  designed  simplic- 
ity. And  Weyburn  was  Caper's  Matey  Weyburn  still 
in  his  loathing  of  artifice  to  raise  emotion,  loathing  of  the 
affected,  the  stilted,  the  trumpet  of  speech  —  always 
excepting  school-exercises  in  the  tongues,  the  unmasking 
of  a  Catiline,  the  address  of  a  General,  Athenian  or 
other,  to  troops. 

He  kept  his  coffer  shut-;  and,  for  a  consequence,  he 
saw  the  contents  as  an  avenue  of  blossom  leading  to 
vistas  of  infinite  harvest. 

She  was  Lady  Oruiont:  Aminta  shared  the  title  of 
his  old  hero  !  He  refused  to  speculate  upon  how  it  had 
come  to  pass,  and  let  the  curtain  hang,  though  dramas 
and  romances,  with  the  miracles  involved  in  them,  were 
agitated  by  a  transient  glimpse  at  the  curtain. 

Well !  and  he  hoped  to  be  a  member  of  the  Profession 
she  despised:  hoped  it  with  all  his  heart.  And  one 
good  effect  of  his  giving  his  heart  to  the  hope  was,  that 
he  could  hold  from  speculating  and  from  feeling,  even 
from  pausing  to  wonder  at  the  most  wonderful  turn  of 
events.  Blessed  antagonism  drove  him  to  be  braced  by 
thoughts  upon  the  hardest  of  the  schoolmaster's  tasks  — 
bright  winter  thoughts,  prescribing  to  him  satisfaction 
with  a  faith  in  the  sowing,  which  may  be  his  only  reap- 
ing. Away  fly  the  boys  in  sheaves.  After  his  toil  with 
them,  to  instruct,  restrain,  animate,  point  their  minds, 
they  leave  him,  they  plunge  into  the  world  and  are  gone. 
Will  he   see  them  again  ?     It  is  a  flickering  perhaps. 


BEOWNY   AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND   KETIRE      95 

To  sustain  his  belief  that  he  has  done  serviceable  work, 
he  must  be  sure  of  his  having  charged  them  with  good 
matter.  How  can  the  man  do  it,  if,  during  his  term  of 
apprenticeship,  he  has  allowed  himself  to  dally  here  and 
there,  down  to  moony  dreamings  over  inscrutable  beauti- 
ful eyes  of  a  married  lady;  for  the  sole  reason  that  he 
meets  her  unexpectedly,  after  an  exchange  of  letters 
with  her  in  long-past  days  at  school,  when  she  was  an 
inexperienced  girl,  who  knew  not  what  she  vowed,  and 
he  a  flighty-headed  youngster,  crying  out  to  be  the 
arrow  of  any  bow  that  was  handy  ?  Yes,  she  was  once 
that  girl,  named  Browny  by  the  boys. 

Temptation  threw  warm  light  on  the  memory,  and 
very  artfully,  by  conjuring  up  the  faces,  cries,  char- 
acters, all  the  fun  of  the  boys.  There  was  no  possibility 
of  forgetting  her  image  in  those  days ;  he  had,  therefore, 
to  live  with  it  and  to  live  near  the  grown  woman  — 
Time's  present  answer  to  the  old  riddle.  It  seemed  to 
him  that,  instead  of  sorting  Lord  Ormont's  papers,  he 
ought  to  be  at  sharp  exercise.  According  to  his  pre- 
script, sharp  exercise  of  lungs  and  limbs  is  a  man's 
moral  aid  against  temptation.  He  knew  it  as  the  one 
trusty  antidote  for  him,  who  was  otherwise  the  vessel  of 
a  temperament  pushing  to  mutiny.  Certainly  it  is  the 
best  philosophy  youth  can  pretend  to  practise;  and 
Lord  Ormont  kept  him  from  it !  Worse  than  that,  the 
slips  and  sheets  of  paper  in  the  dispatch-box  were  not 
an  exercise  of   the    mind   even ;  there    was    nothing   to 


96  LOKD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

grapple  witli — no  diversion;  criticism  passed  by  them 
indulgently,  if  not  benevolently. 

Quite  apart  from  the  subject  inscribed  on  them,  Wey- 
burn  had  now  and  again  a  blow  at  the  breast,  of  untrace- 
able origin.  For  he  was  well  enough  aware  that  the  old 
days  when  Browny  imagined  him  a  hero,  in  drinking  his 
praises  of  a  brighter,  were  drowned.  They  were  dead ; 
but  here  was  she  the  bride  of  the  proved  hero.  His 
praises  might  have  helped  in  causing  her  willingness  — 
devotional  readiness,  he  could  fancy  —  to  yield  her  hand. 
Perhaps  at  the  moment  when  the  hero  was  penning 
some  of  the  Indian  slips  here,  the  boy  at  school  was 
preparing  Aminta ;  but  he  could  not  be  responsible  for 
a  sacrifice  of  the  kind  suggested  by  Lady  Charlotte. 
And  no,  there  had  been  no  such  sacrifice,  although  Lord 
Ormont's  inexplicable  treatment  of  his  young  countess, 
under  cover  of  his  notorious  reputation  with  women,  con- 
duced to  the  suspicion. 

While  the  vagrant  in  Weyburn  was  thus  engaged,  his 
criticism  of  the  soldier-lord's  field-English  on  paper  let 
the  stuff  go  tolerantly  unexamined ;  but  with  a  degree 
of  literary  contempt  at  heart  for  the  writer  who  had 
that  woman-scented  reputation  and  expressed  himself 
so  poorly.  The  sentiment  was  outside  of  reason.  We 
do,  nevertheless,  expect  our  Don  Juans  to  deliver  their 
minds  a  trifle  elegantly,  if  not  in  classic  English,  on 
paper ;  and  when  we  find  one  of  them  inflictiug  cruelty, 
as  it  appears,  and  the  victim  is  a  young  woman,  a  beau- 


BKOWNY   AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND   RETIRE      97 

tiful  young  woman,  she  pleads  to  us  poetically  against 
the  bearish  sentences  of  his  composition.  We  acknowl- 
edge, however,  that  a  mere  sentiment,  entertained  possi- 
bly by  us  alone,  should  not  be  permitted  to  condemn  him 
unheard. 

Lady  Ormont  was  not  seen  again.  After  luncheon  at 
a  solitary  table,  the  secretary  worked  till  winter's  lamps 
were  lit ;  and  then  shone  freedom,  with  assurance  to 
him  that  he  would  escape  from  the  miry  mental  ditch 
he  had  been  floundering  in  since  Aminta  revealed  her- 
self. Sunday  was  the  glorious  day  to  follow,  with  a 
cleansing  bath  of  a  walk  along  the  southern  hills; 
homely  English  scenery  to  show  to  a  German  friend, 
one  of  his  "Company."  Half  a  dozen  good  lads  were 
pledged  to  the  walk ;  bearing  which  in  view,  it  could  be 
felt  that  this  nonsensical  puzzlement  over  his  relations 
to  the  moods  and  tenses  of  a  married  woman  would  be 
bounced  out  of  recollection  before  nightfall.  The  land- 
scape given  off  any  of  the  airy  hills  of  Surrey  would 
suffice  to  do  it. 

A  lady  stood  among  her  boxes  below,  as  he  descended 
the  stairs  to  cross  the  hall.  He  knew  her  for  the  person 
Lady  Charlotte  called  "the  woman's  aunt,"  whom  Lord 
Ormont  could  not  endure  —  a  forgiven  old  enemy,  Mrs. 
Nargett  Pagnell. 

He  saluted.  She  stared,  and  corrected  her  incivility 
with  "  Ah,  yes,"  and  a  formal  smile. 

If  not  accidentally  delayed  on  her  journey,  she  had 


98  LORD   OEMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

been  needlessly  the  cause  why  Lord  Ormont  hugged  his 
Club  during  the  morning  and  afternoon.  Weyburn  was 
pushed  to  think  of  the  matter  by  remembrance  of  his 
foregone  resentment  at  her  having  withdrawn  Aminta 
from  Miss  Vincent's  three  days  earlier  than  the  holiday 
time.  The  resentment  was  over ;  but  a  germ  of  it  must 
have  sprung  from  the  dust  to  prompt  the  kindling  leap 
his  memory  took,  out  of  all  due  connection,  like  a  light- 
ning among  the  crags.  It  struck  Aminta  smartly.  He 
called  to  mind  the  conversation  at  table  yesterday. 
Had  she  played  on  Lord  Ormont's  dislike  of  the  aunt 
to  drive  him  forth  for  some  purpose  of  her  own  ?  If 
so,  the  little  trick  had  been  done  with  deplorable  spon- 
taneity or  adeptness  of  usage.  What  was  the  purpose  ? 
—  to  converse  with  an  old  acquaintance,  undisturbed  by 
Lord  Ormont  and  her  aunt  ?  Neatly  done,  supposing 
the  surmise  correct. 

But  what  was  there  in  the  purpose  ?  He  sifted  rap- 
idly for  the  gist  of  the  conversation ;  reviewed  the 
manner  of  it,  the  words,  the  sound  they  had,  the  feel- 
ings they  touched  ;  then  owned  that  the  question  could 
not  be  answered.  Owning,  further,  that  the  recurrence 
of  these  idiotic  speculations,  feelings,  questions,  wrote 
him  down  as  both  dull  fellow  and  impertinent,  he  was 
enabled  to  restore  Aminta  to  the  queenly  place  she  took 
above  the  schoolmaster,  who  was  very  soon  laughing 
at  his  fever  or  flush  of  the  afternoon.  The  day  had 
brought  a  great   surprise,  nothing  more.     Twenty  min- 


BROWNY   AND    MATEY   ADVANCE   AND   RETIRE      99 

utes  of  fencing  in  the  salle  d-armes  of  an  Italian  captain 
braced  him  to  health,  and  sliifted  scenes  of  other  loves, 
lighter  loves,  following  the  Browny  days  —  not  to  be 
called  loves ;  in  fact,  hardly  beyond  inclinations.  Never- 
theless, inclinations  are  an  infidelity.  To  meet  a  mar- 
ried woman,  and  be  mooning  over  her  because  she  gave 
him  her  eyes  and  her  handwriting  when  a  girl,  was 
enough  to  rouse  an  honest  fellow's  laugh  at  himself,  in 
the  contemplation  of  his  intermediate  amorous  vaga- 
bondage. Had  he  ever  known  the  veritable  passion 
after  Browny  sank  from  his  ken  ?  Let  it  be  confessed, 
never.  His  first  love  was  his  only  true  love,  despite 
one  shuddering  episode,  oddly  humiliating  to  recollect, 
though  he  had  not  behaved  badly.  So,  then,  by  right 
of  his  passion,  thus  did  eternal  justice  rule  it :  that 
Browny  belonged  to  Matey  Weyburn,  Aminta  to  Lord 
Ormont.  Aminta  was  a  lady  blooming  in  the  flesh, 
Browny  was  the  past's  pale  phantom ;  for  which  reason 
he  could  call  her  his  own,  without  harm  done  to  any 
one,  and  with  his  usual  appetite  for  dinner,  breakfast, 
lunch,  whatever  the  meal  supplied  by  the  hour. 

It  would  somewhat  alarmingly  have  got  to  Mr.  Wey- 
burn's  conscience  through  a  disturbance  of  his  balance, 
telling  him  that  he  was  on  a  perilous  road,  if  his  relish 
for  food  had  been  blunted.  He  had  his  axiom  on  the 
subject,  and  he  was  wrong  in  the  general  instances,  for 
the  appetites  of  rogues  and  ogres  are  not  known  to  fail. 
As   regarded  himself,  he  was   eminently   right;  and  he 


100  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

could  apply  it  to  boys  also,  to  all  young  people  —  the 
unlaunclied,  lie  called  them.  He  counted  himself  among 
the  launched,  no  doubt,  and  had  breasted  seas  ;  but  the 
boy  was  alive,  a  trencherman  lad,  in  the  coming  school- 
master, and  told  him  profitable  facts  concerning  his  con- 
dition, besides  throwing  a  luminous  ray  on  the  arcana 
of  our  elusive  youthful.  If  they  have  no  stout  zest  for 
eating,  put  query  against  them. 

His  customary  enjoyment  of  dinner  convinced  Mr. 
Weyburn  that  he  had  not  brooded  morbidly  over  his 
phantom  Browny,  and  could  meet  Aminta,  Countess  of 
Ormont,  on  the  next  occasion  with  the  sentiments  proper 
to  a  common  official.  Did  she  not  set  him  a  commend- 
able example  ?  He  admired  her  for  not  concealing  her 
disdain  of  the  aspirant  schoolmaster,  quite  comprehend- 
ing, by  sympathy,  why  the  woman  should  reproach  the 
girl  who  had  worshipped  heroes,  if  this  was  a  full-grown 
specimen ;  and  the  reply  of  the  shamed  girl  that,  in  her 
ignorance,  she  could  not  know  better.  He  spared  the 
girl,  but  he  laughed  at  the  woman  he  commended, 
laughed  at  himself. 

Aminta's  humour  was  being  stirred  about  the  same 
time.  She  and  her  aunt  were  at  the  dinner-table  in  the 
absence  of  my  lord.  The  dinner  had  passed  with  the 
stiff  dialogue  peculiar  to  couples  under  supervision  of 
their  inferiors ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  room  was  clear,  she 
had  asked  her  aunt,  touching  the  secretary :  "  Have  you 
seen  him  ?  " 


BROWNY   AND   MATEY   ADVANCE   AND    RETIRE      101 

Mrs.  Nargett  Pagnell's  answer  could  have  been  amus- 
ing only  to  one  whose  intimate  knowledge  of  her  found 
it  characteristically  salt;  for  she  was  a  lady  of  speech 
addressed  ever  directly  or  roundabout  to  the  chief  point 
of  business  between  herself  and  her  hearer,  and  the  more 
she  was  brief,  oblique,  far-shooting,  the  more  comically 
intelligible  she  was  to  her  niece.  She  bent  her  head  to 
signify  that  she  had  seen  the  secretary,  and  struck  the 
table  with  both  hands,  exclaiming : 

"  Well,  to  be  sure,  Lord  Ormont !  " 

Their  discussion,  before  they  descended  the  stairs  to 
dinner,  concerned  his  lordship's  extraordinary  indiffer- 
ence to  the  thronging  of  handsome  young  men  around 
his  young  countess. 

Here,  the  implication  ran,  is  one  established  in  the 
house. 

Aminta's  thoughts  could  be  phrased :  "  Yes,  that  is 
true,  for  one  part  of  it." 

As  for  the  other  part,  the  ascent  of  a  Phoebus  Apollo, 
with  his  golden  bow  and  quiver  off  the  fairest  of  East- 
ern horizon  skies,  followed  suddenly  by  the  sight  of  him 
toppling  over  in  Mr.  Cuper's  long-skirted  brown  coat, 
with  spectacles  and  cane,  is  an  image  that  hardly  ex- 
ceeds the  degradation  she  conceived.  It  was  past  ludi- 
crous ;  yet  admitted  of  no  woefulness,  nothing  soothingly 
pathetic.  It  smothered  and  barked  at  the  dreams  of 
her  blooming  Spring  of  life,  to  which  her  mind  had 
latterly  been  turning  back,   for  an   escape   from   sour, 

LiBRARY 


^'  y  6 


102  LORD    ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

one  may  say  cynical,  reflections,  the  present  issue  of  a 
beautiful  young  woman's  first  savour  of  battle  with  the 
world. 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN    A    MOOD    OF    LANGUOR 


Up  in  Aminta's  amber  dressing-room,  Mrs.  Nargett 
Pagnell  alluded  sadly  to  the  long  month  of  separation, 
and  begged  her  niece  to  let  her  have  in  plain  words  an 
exact  statement  of  the  present  situation;  adding,  "Items 
will  do."  Thereupon  she  slipped  into  prattle  and  held 
the  field. 

She  was  the  known,  worthy,  good,  intolerable  woman 
whom  the  burgess  turns  out  for  his  world  in  regiments, 
that  do  and  look  and  all  but  step  alike ;  and  they  mean 
well,  and  have  conventional  worships  and  material 
aspirations,  and  very  peculiar  occult  refinements,  with 
a  blind  head  and  a  haphazard  gleam  of  acuteness,  im- 
pressive to  acquaintances,  convincing  themselves  that 
they  impersonate  sagacity.  She  had  said  this,  done 
that;  and  it  was,  by  proof,  Providence  consenting,  the 
right  thing.  A  niece,  written  down  in  her  girlhood, 
because  of  her  eyes  and  her  striking  air  and  excellent 
deportment,  as  mate  for  a  nobleman,  marries  him  before 
she  is  out  of  her  teens.  "  I  said,  She  shall  be  a  count- 
ess."    A  countess  she  is.     Providence  does  not  comply 


I 


IN   A   MOOD    OF   LANGUOR  103 

with  our  predictions  in  order  to  stultify  us.  Admitting 
the  position  of  affairs  for  the  moment  as  extraordinary, 
we  are  bound  by  what  has  happened  to  expect  they  will 
be  conformable  in  the  end.  Temporarily  warped,  Ave 
should  say  of  them. 

She  could  point  to  the  reason :  it  was  Lord  Ormont's 
blunt  misunderstanding  of  her  character.  The  burgess's 
daughter  was  refining  to  an  appreciation  of  the  exquisite 
so  rapidly  that  she  could  criticise  patricians.  My  lord 
had  never  forgiven  her  for  correcting  him  in  his  pro- 
nunciation of  her  name  by  marriage.  Singular  indeed; 
but  men,  even  great  men,  men  of  title,  are  so,  some  of 
them,  whom  you  could  least  suspect  of  their  being  so. 
He  would  speak  the  " g"  in  Nargett,  and  he  declined  — 
after  a  remonstrance  he  declined  —  to  pass  Pagnell 
under  the  cedilla.  Lord  Ormont  spoke  the  name  like  a 
man  hating  it,  or  an  English  rustic :  "  Nargett  Pagnell," 
instead  of  the  soft  and  elegant  ''  Naryett  Pagiiell,"  the 
only  true  way  of  speaking  it ;  and  she  had  always  taken 
that  pronunciation  of  her  name  for  a  test  of  people's 
breeding.  The  expression  of  his  lordship's  countenance 
under  correction  was  memorable.  Naturally,  in  those 
honeymoony  days,  the  young  Countess  of  Ormont  sided 
with  her  husband  the  earl ;  she  declared  that  her  aunt 
had  never  dreamed  of  the  cedilla  before  the  expedition 
to  Spain.  When,  for  example,  Alfred  Nargett  Pagnell 
had  a  laughing  remark,  which  Aminta  in  her  childhood 
must  have  heard:  ''We  rhyme  with  spaniel!" 


104  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

That  was  the  secret  of  Lord  Ormont's  prepossession 
against  Aminta's  aunt ;  and  who  can  tell  ?  perhaps  of 
much  of  his  behaviour  to  the  beautiful  young  wife  he 
at  least  admired,  sincerely  admired,  though  he  caused 
her  to  hang  her  head  —  cast  a  cloud  on  the  head  so  dear 
to  him ! 

Otherwise  there  was  no  interpreting  his  lordship.  To 
think  of  herself  as  personally  disliked  by  a  nobleman 
stupefied  Mrs.  Pagnell,  from  her  just  expectation  of 
reciprocal  dealings  in  high  society;  for  she  confessed 
herself  a  fly  to  a  title.  Where  is  the  shame,  if  titles 
are  created  to  attract  ?  Elsewhere  than  in  that  upper 
circle,  we  may  anticipate  hard  bargains ;  the  widow 
of  a  solicitor  had  not  to  learn  it.  But  when  a  dis- 
tinguished member  and  ornament  of  the  chosen  seats 
above  blew  cold  upon  their  gesticulatory  devotee,  and 
was  besides  ungrateful,  she  was  more  than  commonly 
assured  of  his  being,  as  she  called  him,  "  a  sphinx." 
His  behaviour  to  his  legally-wedded  wife  confirmed  the 
charge. 

She  checked  her  flow  to  resume  the  question.  "  So, 
then,  where  are  we  now  ?  He  allows  you  liberally  for 
pin-money  in  addition  to  your  own  small  independent 
income.  Satisfaction  with  that  would  warrant  him  to 
suppose  his  whole  duty  done  by  you." 

"  We  are  where  we  were.  Aunty  ;  the  month  has  made 
no  change,"  said  Aminta,  in  languor. 

"  And  you  as  patient  as  ever  ?  " 


IN   A   MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  105 

"I  am  supposed  to  have  everything  a  woman  can 
require." 

"  Can  he  possibly  think  it  ?  And  I  have  to  warn  you, 
child,  that  lawyers  are  not  so  absolving  as  the  world  is 
with  some  of  the  ladies  Lord  Ormont  allows  you  to  call 
your  friends.  I  have  been  hearing  —  it  is  not  mere  airy 
tales  one  hears  from  lawyers  about  cases  in  Courts  of 
Law.  Tighten  your  lips  as  you  like ;  I  say  nothing  to 
condemn  or  reflect  on  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley.  I  have 
had  my  eyes  a  little  opened,  that  is  all.  Oh,  I  know 
my  niece  Aminta,  when  it's  a  friend  to  stand  by;  but 
our  position — thanks  to  your  inscrutable  lord  and  mas- 
ter—  demands  of  us  the  utmost  scrupulousness,  or  it 
soon  becomes  a  whirl  and  scandal  flying  about,  and  those 
lawyers  picking  up  and  putting  together.  I  have  had  a 
difficulty  to  persuade  them !  .  .  .  and  my  own  niece ! 
whom  I  saw  married  at  the  British  Embassy  in  Madrid, 
as  I  take  good  care  to  tell  everybody ;  for  it  was  my 
doing ;  I  am  the  responsible  person !  and  by  an  English 
Protestant  clergyman,  to  all  appearance  able  to  walk 
erect  in  and  out  of  any  of  these  excellent  new  Life 
Assurance  offices  they  are  starting  for  the  benefit  of 
widows  and  orphans,  and  deceased  within  six  days  of 
the  ceremony  —  if  ceremony  one  may  call  the  hasty 
affair  in  those  foreign  places.  My  dear,  the  instant 
I  heard  it  I  had  a  presentiment,  '  All  has  gone  well  up 
to  now.'  I  remember  murmuring  the  words.  Then 
your   letter,    received   in  that   smelly   Barcelona:  Lord 


lOG  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

Ormont  was  carrying  you  off  to  Granada  —  a  dream  of 
my  infancy  !  It  may  not  have  been  his  manoeuvre,  but 
it  was  the  beginning  of  liis  manoeuvres." 

Aminta  shuddered.  "And  tra-la-la,  and  castanets, 
and  my  Cid  !  my  Cid !  and  the  Alhambra,  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  ay  di  me,  Alhama!  and  Boabdil  el  Chico 
and  el  Zagal  and  Fray  Antonio  Agapida!"  She  flung 
out  the  rattle,  yawning,  with  her  arms  up  and  her  head 
back,  in  the  posture  of  a  woman  wounded.  One  of 
her  aunt's  chance  shots  had  traversed  her  breast,  flash- 
ing at  her  the  time,  the  scene,  the  husband,  inteusest 
sunniness  on  sword-edges  of  shade, —  and  now  the 
wedded  riddle,  illusion  dropping  mask,  romance  in  its 
anatomy,  cold  English  mist.  Ah,  what  a  background 
is  the  present  when  we  have  the  past  to  the  fore  !  That 
filmy  past  is  diaphanous  on  heaving  ribs. 

She  smiled  at  the  wide-eyed  little  gossip.  "  Don't 
speak  of  manoeuvres,  dear  Aunt.  And  we'll  leave 
Granada  to  the  poets.  I'm  tired.  Talk  of  our  own 
people,  on  your  side  and  my  father's,  and  as  much  as 
you  please  of  the  Pagnell-Pagnells,  they  refresh  me. 
Do  they  go  on  marrying  ?  " 

"  Why,  my  child,  how  could  they  go  on  without  it  ?  " 

Aminta  pressed  her  hands  at  her  eyelids.  "  Oh,  me  !  " 
she  sighed,  feeling  the  tear  come  with  a  sting  from 
checked  laughter.  "But  there  are  marriages.  Aunty, 
that  don't  go  on,  though  Protestant  clergymen  officiated. 
Leave  them  unnoticed,  I  have  really  nothing  to  tell." 


IN   A   MOOD    OF   LANGUOR  107 

"  You  have  not  heard  anything  of  Lady  Eglett  ? " 

"Lady  Charlotte  Eglett?  No  syllable.  Or  wait  — 
my  lord's  secretary  was  with  her  at  Olmer;  approved 
by  her,  I  have  to  suppose." 

"  There,  my  dear,  I  say  again  I  do  dread  that  woman, 
if  she  can  make  a  man  like  Lord  Ormout  afraid  of  her. 
And  no  doubt  she  is  of  our  old  aristocracy.  And  they 
tell  me  she  is  coarse  in  her  conversation  —  like  a  man. 
Lawyers  tell  me  she  is  never  happy  but  in  litigation. 
Years  back,  I  am  given  to  understand,  she  did  not  set 
so  particularly  good  an  example.  Lawyers  hear  next 
to  everything.  I  am  told  she  lifted  her  horsewhip  on 
a  gentleman  once,  and  then  put  her  horse  at  him  and 
rode  him  down.  You  will  say,  the  sister  of  your  hus- 
band. Ko ;  not  to  make  my  niece  a  countess,  would 
I,  if  I  had  known  the  kind  of  family !  Then  one  asks. 
Is  she  half  as  much  afraid  of  him  ?  In  that  case,  no 
wonder  they  have  given  up  meeting.  Was  formerly 
one  of  the  Keepsake  Beauties.  Well,  Lady  Eglett,  and 
Aminta,  Countess  of  Ormont,  will  be  in  that  Peerage, 
as  they  call  it,  let  her  only  have  her  dues.  My  dear, 
I  would  —  if  I  ever  did —  swear  the  woman  is  jealous." 

"  Of  me.  Aunty  ! " 

"I  say  more;  I  say  again,  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
for  somebody  if  somebody  had  his  twitch  of  jealousy. 
Wives  may  be  too  meek.  Cases  and  cases  my  poor 
Alfred  read  to  me,  where  an  ill-behaving  man  was 
brought  to  his  senses  by  a  clever  little   shutlie   of  the 


108  LORD   ORMONT    AND    HIS   AMINTA 

cards,  and  by  the  most  innocent  of  Avives.  A  kind  of 
poison  to  him,  of  course  ;  but  there  are  poisons  that 
cure.  It  might  come  into  the  courts;  and  the  nearer 
the  proofs  the  happier  he  in  withdrawing  from  his 
charge  and  effecting  a  reconciliation.  Short  of  guilt, 
of  course.  Men  are  so  strange.  Imagine  now  if  a 
handsome  young  woman  were  known  to  be  admired 
rather  more  than  enough  by  a  good-looking  gentleman 
near  about  her  own  age.  Oh !  I've  no  patience  with 
the  man  for  causing  us  to  think  and  scheme!  Only 
there  are  men  who  won't  be  set  right  unless  we  do. 
My  husband  used  to  say,  change  is  such  a  capital  thing 
in  life's  jog-trot,  that  men  find  it  refreshing  if  we  now 
and  then  reverse  the  order  of  our  pillion-riding  for  them. 
A  spiritless  woman  in  a  wife  is  what  they  bear  least 
of  all.  Anything  rather.  Is  Mr.  Morsfield  haunting 
Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley's  house  as  usual  ?  " 

Aminta's  chesks  unrolled  their  deejj  damask  rose  at 
the  abrupt  intrusion  of  the  name.     "  I  meet  him  there." 

"  Lord  Adderwood,  Sir  John  Randeller,  and  the 
rest  ?  " 

"  Two  or  three  times  a  week." 

"And  the  lady,  wife  of  the  captain,  really  a  Lady 
Fair — Mrs.  .  .  .  month  of  May;  so  I  have  to  get  at 
it." 

*'  She  may  be  seen  there." 

''Really  a  contrast,  when  you  two  are  together!  As 
to  reputation,  there  is  an  exchange  of  colours.     Those 


IN   A   MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  109 

lawyers  hold  the  keys  of  the  great  world,  and  a  naughty 
world  it  is,  I  fear  —  with  exceptions,  who  are  the  salt, 
but  don't  taste  so  much.  I  can't  help  enjoying  the 
people  at  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley's.  I  like  to  feel  I 
can  amuse  them,  as  they  do  me.  One  puzzles  for  what 
they  say  —  in  somebody's  absence,  I  mean.  They  must 
take  Lord  Ormont  for  a  perfect  sphinx ;  unless  they  are 
so  silly  as  to  think  they  may  despise  him,  or  suppose 
him  indifferent.  Oh,  that  upper  class!  It's  a  garden, 
and  we  can't  help  pushing  to  enter  it ;  and  fair  flowers, 
indeed,  but  serpents,  too,  like  the  tropics.  It  tries  us 
more  than  anything  else  in  the  world  —  well,  just  as 
good  eating  tries  the  constitution.  He  ought  to  know 
it  and  feel  it,  and  give  his  wife  all  the  protection  of 
his  name,  instead  of  —  not  that  he  denies:  I  have 
brought  hira  to  that  point;  he  cannot  deny  it  with  me. 
But  not  to  present  her  —  to  shun  the  Court;  not  to 
introduce  her  to  his  family,  to  appear  ashamed  of  her ! 
My  darling  Aminta,  a  month  of  absence  for  reflection 
on  your  legally- wedded  husband's  conduct  increases  my 
astonishment.     For   usually  men  old  enough   to  be  the 

grandfathers  of  their  wives " 

"  Oh,  pray,  Aunty,  pray,  pray ! "  Aminta  cried,  and 
her  body  writhed.  "  No  more  to-night.  You  mean  well, 
I  am  sure.  Let  vis  wait.  I  shall  sleep,  perhaps,  if  I  go 
to  bed  early.  I  daresay  I  am  spiritless  —  not  worth 
more  than  I  get.  I  gave  him  the  lead  altogether ;  he 
keeps  it.     In  everything  else  he  is  kind ;  I  have  all  the 


110  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

luxuries  —  enough   to   loathe  them.     Kiss  me  and  say 
good-night." 

Aminta  made  it  imperative  by  rising.  Her  aunt  stood 
up,  kissed,  and  exclaimed,  "  I  tell  you  you  are  a  queenly 
creature,  not  to  be  treated  as  any  puny  trollop  of  a  hand- 
maid. And  although  he  is  a  great  nobleman,  he  is  not 
to  presume  to  behave  any  longer,  my  dear,  as  if  your 
family  had  no  claim  on  his  consideration.  My  husband, 
Alfred  Pagnell,  would  have  laid  that  before  him  pretty 
quick.  You  are  the  child  of  the  Farrells  and  the  Solers, 
both  old  families  ;  on  your  father's  side  you  are  linked 
with  the  oldest  nobility  in  Europe,  It  flushes  one  to 
think  of  it !  Your  grandmother,  marrying  Captain 
Algernon  Farrell,  was  the  legitimate  daughter  of  a 
Grandee  of  Spain,  as  I  have  told  Lord  Ormont  often, 
and  I  defy  him  to  equal  that  for  a  romantic  marriage 
in  the  annals  of  his    house,    or    boast   of  bluer  blood. 

Again,  the  Solers " 

"  We  take  the  Solers  for  granted.  Aunty  :  good-night." 
"  Commoners,  if  you  like ;  but  established  since  the 
Conquest.  That  is,  we  trace  the  pedigree.  And  to  be 
treated,  even  by  a  great  nobleman,  as  if  we  were  stuff 
picked  up  out  of  the  ditch  !  I  declare,  there  are  times 
when  I  sit  and  think  and  boil.  Is  it  chivalrous,  is  it  gen- 
erous —  is  it,  I  say,  decent —  is  it  what  Alfred  would  have 
called  a  fair  fulfilment  of  a  pact,  for  yoiir  wedded  hus- 
band ? —  you  may  close  my  mouth  !  But  he  pretends  to 
be  chivalrous  and  generous,  and  he  lias  won  a  queen  any 


m   A   MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  111 

wealthy  gentleman  in  England.  —  I  know  of  one,  if  not 
two  —  would  be  proud,  to  have  beside  him  in  equal  state ; 
and  what  is  he  to  her  ?  He  is  an  extinguisher.  Or 
is  it  the  very  meanest  miserliness,  that  he  may  keep 
you  all  to  himself  ?  There  we  are  again !  I  say  he 
is  an  unreadable  sphinx." 

Aminta  had  rung  the  bell  for  her  maid.  Mrs.  Pagnell 
could  be  counted  on  for  drawing  in  her  tongue  when 
the  domestics  were  near. 

A  languor  past  delivery  in  sighs  was  on  the  young 
woman's  breast.  She  could  have  heard  without  a  regret 
that  the  heart  was  to  cease  beating.  Had  it  been  down- 
right misery  she  would  have  looked  about  her  with  less 
of  her  exanimate  glassiness.  The  unhappy  have  a  form 
of  life :  until  they  are  worn  out,  they  feel  keenly.  She 
felt  nothing.  The  blow  to  her  pride  of  station  and 
womanhood  struck  on  numbed  sensations.  She  could 
complain  that  the  blow  was  not  heavier. 

A  letter  lying  in  her  jewel-box  called  her  to  read  it, 
for  the  chance  of  some  slight  stir.  The  contents  were 
known.  The  signature  of  Adolphus  Morsfield  had  a  new 
meaning  for  her  eyes,  and  dashed  her  at  her  husband 
in  a  spasm  of  revolt  and  wrath  against  the  man  exposing 
her  to  these  letters,  which  a  motion  of  her  hand  could 
turn  to  blood,  and  abstention  from  any  sign  maintained 
in  a  Satanic  whisper,  saying,  "  Here  lies  one  way  of 
solving  the  riddle."  It  was  her  husband  who  drove  her 
to  look  that  way. 


112  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

The  look  was  transient,  and  the  wrath:  she  could 
not  burn.  A  small  portion  of  contempt  lodged  in  her 
mind  to  shadow  husbands  precipitating  women  on  their 
armoury  for  a  taste  of  vengeance.  Women  can  always 
be  revenged  —  so  speedily,  so  completely :  they  have  but 
to  dip.  Husbands  driving  wives  to  taste  their  power 
execrate  the  creature  for  her  fall  deep  downward.  They 
are  forgetful  of  causes. 

Does  it  matter?  Aminta's  languor  asked.  The  letter 
had  not  Avon  a  reply.  Thought  of  the  briefest  of  replies 
was  a  mountain  of  effort,  and  she  mourned  at  her  nerve- 
lessness  in  body  and  mind.  To  reply,  to  reproach  the 
man,  to  be  flame  —  an  image  of  herself  under  the  form 
she  desired  —  gave  her  a  momentary  false  energy, 
wherein  the  daring  of  the  man,  whose  life  was  at  a 
toss  for  the  writing  of  this  letter,  hung  lighted.  She 
had  therewith  a  sharp  vision  of  his  features,  repellent 
in  correctness,  Greek  in  lines,  with  close  eyes,  hollow 
temples,  pressed  lips  —  a  face  indicating  the  man  who 
can  fling  himself  on  a  die.  She  had  heard  tales  of 
women  and  the  man.  Some  had  loved  him,  report  said. 
Here  were  words  to  say  that  he  loved  her.  They  might, 
poor  man,  be  true.     Otherwise  she  had  never  been  loved. 

Memory  had  of  late  been  paying  visits  to  a  droopy 
plant  in  the  golden  summer  drought  on  a  gorgeous  mid- 
sea  island,  and  had  taken  her  on  board  to  refresh  her 
with  voyages,  always  bearing  down  full  sail  on  a  couple 
of  blissful  schools,  abodes  of  bloom  and  briny  vigour, 


IN   A  MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  113 

sweet  merriment,  innocent  longings,  dreams  the  shyest, 
dreams  the  mightiest.  At  night  before  sleep,  at  morn 
before  rising,  often  during  day,  and  when  vexed  or  when 
dispirited,  she  had  issued  her  command  for  the  voyage. 
Sheer  refreshment  followed,  as  is  ever  the  case  if  our 
vessel  carries  no  freight  of  hopes.  There  could  be  no 
hopes.  It  was  forgotten  that  they  -had  ever  been  seri- 
ously alive.  But  it  carried  an  admiration.  Now,  an 
admiration  may  endure,  and  this  one  had  been  justified 
all  round.  The  figure  heroical,  the  splendid,  active 
youth,  hallowed  Aminta's  past.  The  past  of  a  bitterly 
humiliated  Aminta  was  a  garden  in  the  coming  kiss 
of  sunset,  with  that  godlike  figure  of  young  manhood 
to  hallow  it.  There  he  stayed,  perpetually  assuring  her 
of  his  triumphs  to  come. 

She  could  have  no  further  voyages.  Eidicule  con- 
vulsed her  home  of  refuge.  For  the  young  soldier-hero 
to  be  unhorsed  by  misfortune,  was  one  thing ;  but  the 
meanness  of  the  ambition  he  had  taken  in  exchange  for 
the  thirst  of  glory,  accused  his  nature.  He  so  certainly 
involved  her  in  the  burlesque  of  the  transformation  that 
she  had  to  quench  memory. 

She  was,  therefore,  having  smothered  a  good  part  of 
herself,  accountably  languid — a  condition  alternating 
with  fire  in  Aminta ;  and  as  Mr.  Morsfield's  letter  sup- 
plied the  absent  element,  her  needy  instinct  pushed  her  to 
read  his  letter  through.  She  had  not  yet  done  that  with 
attention. 


114  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Whether  a  woman  loves  a  man  or  not,  he  is  her  lover 
if  he  dares  tell  her  he  loves  her,  and  is  heard  with  atten- 
tion. Aware  that  the  sentences  were  poison,  she  sum- 
moned her  constitutional  antagonism  to  the  mad  step 
proposed,  so  far  nullifying  the  virus  as  to  make  her 
shrink  from  the  madness.  Even  then  her  soul  cried 
out  to  her  Inisband,  Who  drives  me  to  read  ?  or  rather, 
to  brood  upon  what  she  read.  The  brooding  ensued,  was 
the  thirst  of  her  malady.  The  best  antidote  she  could 
hit  on  was  the  writer's  face.  Yet  it  expressed  him,  his 
fire  and  his  courage  —  gifts  she  respected  in  him,  found 
wanting  in  herself.  Eead  by  Lord  Ormont,  this  letter 
would  mean  a  deadly  thing. 

Aminta  did  her  lord  the  justice  to  feel  sure  of  him,  that 
with  her  name  bearing  the  superscription,  it  might  be 
left  on  her  table,  and  would  not  have  him  to  peruse  it. 
If  he  manoeuvred,  it  was  never  basely.  Despite  resent- 
ment, her  deepest  heart  denied  his  being  indifferent 
either  to  her  honour  or  his  own  in  relation  to  it.  He 
would  vindicate  both  at  a  stroke,  for  a  sign.  Neverthe- 
less, he  had  been  behaving  cruelly.  She  charged  on 
him  the  guilt  of  the  small  preludes,  archeries,  anglings, 
veilings,  evasions,  all  done  with  the  eyelids  and  the 
mute  of  the  lips,  or  a  skirmisher  word  or  fan's  flourish, 
and  which,  intended  to  pique  the  husband  rather  than 
incite  the  lover,  had  led  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley  to  mur- 
mur at  her  ear,  in  close  assembly,  without  a  distinct 
designation  of  Mr.  Morsfield,  "Dangerous  man  to  play 


IN   A  MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  116 

little  games  with  ! "  It  had  brought  upon  her  this  letter 
of  declaration,  proposal,  entreaty. 

This  letter  was  the  man's  life  in  her  hands,  and  safe, 
of  course.  But  surely  it  was  a  proof  that  the  man  loved 
her? 

Aminta  was  in  her  five-and-twentieth  year ;  when  the 
woman  who  is  uncertain  of  the  having  been  loved,  and 
she  reputed  beautiful,  desirable,  is  impelled  by  a  sombre 
necessity  to  muse  on  a  declaration,  and  nibble  at  an  idea 
of  a  test.  If  "a  dangerovis  man  to  play  little  games 
with,"  he  could  scarcely  be  dangerous  to  a  woman 
having  no  love  for  him  at  all.  It  meant  merely  that  he 
would  soon  fall  to  writing  letters  like  this,  and  he  could 
not  expect  an  answer  to  it.  But  her  heart  really 
thanked  him,  and  wished  the  poor  gentleman  to  take 
its  dumb  response  as  his  reward,  for  being  the  one  sole 
one  who  had  loved  her. 

Aminta  dwelt  on  ''  the  one  sole  one."  Lord  Ormont's 
treatment  had  detached  her  from  any  belief  in  love  on 
his  part ;  and  the  schoolboy,  now  ambitious  to  become  a 
schoolmaster,  was  behind  a  screen  unlikely  to  be  lifted 
again  by  a  woman  valuing  her  pride  of  youth,  though 
he  had  —  behold  our  deceptions!  —  the  sympathetic  face 
entirely  absent  from  that  of  Mr.  Adolphus  Morsfield, 
whom  the  world  would  count  quite  as  handsome  —  nay, 
it  boasted  him.  He  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  a  killer 
of  ladies.  Women  have  odd  tastes,  Aminta  thought, 
and  examined  the  gentleman's  handwriting,     ^t  pleased 


116  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

her  better.  She  studied  it  till  the  conventional  phrases 
took  a  fiery  hue,  and  came  at  her  with  an  invasive  rush. 

The  letter  was  cast  back  into  the  box,  locked  up; 
there  an  end  to  it,  or  no  interdiction  of  sleep. 

Sleep  was  a  triumph.  Aminta's  healthy  frame  rode 
her  over  petty  agitations  of  a  blood  uninflamed,  as 
lightly  as  she  swam  the  troubled  sea-waters  her  body 
gloried  to  cleave.  She  woke  in  the  morning  peaceful 
and  mildly  reflective,  like  one  who  walks  across  green 
meadows.  Only  by  degrees,  by  glimpses,  was  she  drawn 
to  remember  the  trotting,  cantering,  galloping,  leaping 
of  an  active  heart  during  night.  We  cannot,  man  or 
woman,  control  the  heart  in  sleep  at  night.  There  had 
been  wild  leapings.  Night  will  lead  an  unsatisfied  heart 
of  a  woman,  by  way  of  sleep,  to  scale  black  mountains, 
jump  jagged  chasms.  Sleep  is  a  horse  that  laughs  at 
precipices  and  abysses.  We  bid  women,  moreover,  be 
all  heart.  They  are  to  cultivate  their  hearts,  pay  much 
heed  to  their  hearts.  The  vast  realm  of  feeling  is  open 
to  these  appointed  keepers  of  the  sanctuary  household, 
who  may  be  witliering  virgins,  may  be  childless 
matrons,  may  be  unhusbanded  wives.  Wandering  in 
the  vast  realm  which  they  are  exhorted  to  call  their 
own,  for  the  additional  attractiveness  it  gives  them,  an 
unsatisfied  heart  of  woman  will  somewhat  audaciously 
cross  the  borderland  a  single  step  into  the  public  road 
of  the  vast  realm  of  thinking.  Once  there,  and  but 
a  single  step  on  the  road,  she  is  a  rebel  against  man's 


IN  A  MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  117 

law  for  her  sex.  Nor  is  it  urgent  on  her  that  she  should 
think  defiantly  in  order  to  feel  herself  the  rebel.  She 
may  think  submissively,  with  a  heart  (the  enlarged, 
the  scientifically  plumped,  the  pasture  of  epicurean 
man),  with  her  coveted  heart  in  revolt,  and  from  the 
mere  act  of  thinking  at  all. 

Aminta  reviewed  perforce,  dead  against  her  will,  cer- 
tain of  the  near-to-happiness  racings  overnight.  She 
thinned  her  lips,  and  her  cheeks  glowed.  An  arm,  on 
the  plea  of  rescuing,  had  been  round  her.  The  choice 
now  offered  her  was,  to  yield  to  softness  or  to  think. 
She  took  the  latter  step,  the  single  step  of  an  unaccus- 
tomed foot,  which  women  educated  simply  to  feel,  will, 
upon  extreme  impulsion,  take ;  and  it  held  a  candle  in 
a  windy  darkness.  She  saw  no  Justice  there.  The  sen- 
sational immensity  touched  sublime,  short  of  that  spirit 
of  Justice  required  for  the  true  sublime.  And  void  of 
Justice,  'what  a  sunless  place  is  any  realm  !  Infants, 
the  male  and  the  female  alike,  first  begin  to  know  they 
feel  when  it  is 'refused  them.  When  they  know  they 
feel,  they  have  begun  to  reflect.  The  void  of  Justice 
is  a  godless  region.  Women,  to  whom  the  solitary 
thought  has  come  as  a  blown  candle,  illumining  the 
fringes  of  their  storm,  ask  themselves  whether  they 
are  God's  creatures  or  man's.  The  question  deals  a 
swordstroke  of  division  between  them  and  their  human 
masters.  Young  women,  animated  by  the  passions  their 
feeling  bosoms  of  necessity  breed,  and  under  terror  dis- 


118  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

cover,  do  not  distinguish  an  abstract  justice  from  a 
concrete.  They  are  of  the  tribe  too  long  hereditarily 
enslaved  to  conceive  an  abstract.  So  it  is  with  them, 
that  their  God  is  the  God  of  the  slave,  as  it  is  with 
all  but  the  bravest  of  boys.  He  is  a  Thing  to  cry  to, 
a  Punisher,  not  much  of  a  Supporter  —  the  Biblical 
Hebrew's  right  reading  of  Nature,  favouring  man,  yet 
prompt  to  confound  him,  and  with  woman  for  the  instru- 
ment of  vengeance.  By  such  a  maze  the  blindfolded  are 
brought  round  to  see  Justice  on  earth.  If  women  can 
only  believe  in  some  soul  of  justice,  they  will  feel  they 
belong  to  God  —  of  the  two  ;  and  the  peril  for  them  then 
is,  that  they  will  set  the  one  incomprehensible  Power  in 
opposition  to  the  other,  urging  their  unsatisfied  natures 
to  make  secret  appeal  away  from  man  and  his  laws 
altogether,  at  the  cost  of  losing  clear  sight  of  the  God 
who  shines  in  thought.  It  is  a  manner  whereby  the 
desperately  harried  among  these  creatures  of  the  petted 
heart  arrive  upon  occasion  at  an  agreeable,  almost  re- 
poseful, contemplation  of  the  reverse  of  God. 

There  is  little  pleasure  to  be  on  the  lecture-rostrum 
for  a  narrator  sensible  to  the  pulses  of  his  audience. 
Justice  compels  at  times.  In  truth,  there  are  times 
when  the  foggy  obscurities  of  the  preacher  are  by  com- 
parison broad  daylight  beside  the  whirling  loose  tissues 
of  a  woman  unexplained.  Aminta  was  one  born  to  prize 
rectitude,  to  walk  on  the  traced  line  uprightly;  and 
while  the  dark  rose  overflowed  the  soft  brown  of  her 


IN   A   MOOD   OF   LANGUOR  119 

cheeks,  under  musings  upon  her  unlicensed  heart's 
doings  overnight,  she  not  only  pleaded  for  woeful  creat- 
ures of  her  sex  burdened  as  she  and  erring,  she  weighed 
them  in  the  scales  with  men,  and  put  her  heart  where 
Justice  pointed,  sending  men  to  kick  aloft. 

Her  husband,  the  man-riddle:  she  was  unable  to  rede 
or  read  him.  Her  Avill  could  not  turn  him,  nor  her 
tongue  combat;  nor  was  it  granted  her  to  pique 
the  mailed  veteran.  Every  poor  innocent  little  bit 
of  an  art  had  been  exhausted.  Her  title  was  Lady 
Ormont:  her  condition  actually  slave.  A  luxuriously 
established  slave,  consorting  with  a  singularly  enfran- 
chised set,  —  as,  for  instance,  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley 
and  Lord  Adderwood  ;  Sir  John  Rundeller  and  Lady 
Staines;  Mrs.  May,  Amy  May,  notorious  wife  of  a 
fighting  captain,  the  loveliest  of  blondes ;  and  other 
ladies,  other  gentlemen,  Mr.  Morsfield  in  the  list,  paired 
or  not  yet  paired :  gossip  raged.  Aminta  was  of  a 
disposition  too  generously  cordial  to  let  her  be  the 
rigorous  critic  of  people  with  whom  she  was  in  touch. 
But  her  mind  knew  relief  when  she  recollected  that  her 
humble  little  schoolmate,  Selina  Collett,  who  had  suf- 
fered on  her  behalf  in  old  days,  was  coming  up  to 
her  from  the  Suffolk  coast  on  a  visit  for  a  week.  How- 
ever much  a  slave  and  an  unloved  woman,  she  could  be 
a  constant  and  protecting  friend.  Besides,  Lord  Ormont 
was  gracious  to  little  Selina.  She  thought  of  his  re- 
marks about  the  modest-minded  girl  after  first  seeing 


120  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

her.  From  that  she  struck  upon  a  notion  of  reserves  of 
humaneness  being  in  him,  if  she  might  find  the  path  to 
them :  and  thence,  fortified  by  the  repose  her  picture  of 
little  Selina's  merit  had  bestowed,  she  sprang  to  the  idea 
of  valiancy,  that  she  would  woo  him  to  listen  to  her, 
without  inflicting  a  scene.  He  had  been  a  listening 
lover,  seeming  lover,  once,  later  than  the  Granada  sun- 
sets. The  letter  in  her  jewel-box  urged  Aminta  to  clear 
her  conscience  by  some  means,  for  leaving  it  unburnt. 


CHAPTER   VII 

EXHIBITS    EFFECTS    OF    A    PRATTLER's    DOSES 

The  rules  in  Lord  Ormont's  household  assisted  to 
shelter  him  for  some  hours  of  the  day  from  the  lady 
who  was  like  a  blast  of  sirocco  under  his  roof.  He  had 
his  breakfast  alone,  as  Lady  Charlotte  had  it  at  Olmer; 
a  dislike  of  a  common  table  in  the  morning  was  a  family 
trait  with  both.  At  ten  o'clock  the  secretary  arrived, 
and  they  were  shut  up  together.  At  the  luncheon  table 
Aminta  usually  presided.  If  my  lord  dined  at  home, 
he  had  by  that  time  established  an  equanimity  rendering 
his  constant  civility  to  Mrs.  Pagnell  less  arduous.  The 
presence  of  a  woman  of  tongue,  perpetually  on  the 
spring  to  gratify  him  and  win  him,  was  among  the  bur- 
dens he  bore  for  his  Aminta. 


EXHIBITS   EFFECTS   OF   A   PRATTLER'S   DOSES      121 

Mrs.  Pagnell  soon  perceived  that  the  secretary  was  in 
favour.  My  lord  and  this  Mr.  Weyburn  had  their  pet 
themes  of  conversation,  upon  which  the  wary  aunt  of 
her  niece  did  not  gaze  like  the  wintry  sun  with  the  dis- 
tant smile  her  niece  displayed  over  discussions  concern- 
ing military  biographies,  Hannibal's  use  of  his  elephants 
and  his  ISTumidian  horse,  the  Little  St.  Bernard,  modern 
artillery,  ancient  slingers,  English  and  Genoese  bowmen, 
Napoleon's  tactics,  his  command  to  the  troopers  to  "  give 
point,"  and  English  officers'  neglect  of  sword  exercise, 
and  the  "  devil  of  a  day  "  Old  England  is  to  have  on  a 
day  to  come.  My  lord  connected  our  day  of  trial  with 
India.  Mrs.  Pagnell  assumed  an  air  of  studious  inter- 
est ;  she  struck  in  to  give  her  niece  a  lead,  that  Lord 
Ormont  might  know  his  countess  capable  of  joining  the 
dryest  of  subjects  occupying  exalted  minds.  Aminta 
did  not  follow  her ;  and  she  was  extricated  gallantly  by 
the  gentlemen  in  turn. 

The  secretary  behaved  with  a  pretty  civility.  Aminta 
shook  herself  to  think  tolerantly  of  him  when  he,  after 
listening  to  the  suggestion,  put  interrogatively,  that  we 
should  profit  b}^  Hannibal's  example  and  train  elephants 
to  serve  as  a  special  army  corps  for  the  perfect  security 
of  our  priceless  Indian  Empire,  instanced  the  danger 
likely  to  result  from  their  panic  fear  of  cannon,  and 
forbore  to  consult  Lord  Ormont's  eye. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  knew  she  had  put  her  foot  into  it ;  but 
women  advised  of   being   fools   in  what   they  say,  are 


122  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

generally  sustained  by  their  sense  of  the  excellent 
motive  which  impelled  them.  Even  to  the  Countess  of 
Ormont,  she  could  have  replied  :  "  We  might  have  given 
them  a  higher  idea  of  us"  —  if,  that  meant,  the  Countess 
of  Ormont  had  entered  the  field  beside  her,  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  a  shrinking  Aminta.  She  hinted  as  much  subse- 
quently, and  Aminta's  consciousness  of  the  truth  was 
touched.  The  young  schoolmaster's  company  sat  on  her 
spirits,  deadened  her  vocabulary.  Her  aunt  spoke  of 
passing  the  library  door  and  hearing  the  two  gentlemen 
loudly  laughing.  It  seemed  subserviency  on  the  fallen 
young  hero's  part.  His  tastes  were  low.  He  frequented 
the  haunts  of  boxing  men ;  her  lord  informed  her  of  his 
having  made,  or  of  his  making,  matches  to  run  or  swim 
or  walk  certain  distances  against  competitors  or  within 
a  given  time.  He  had  also  half  a  dozen  boys  or  more  in 
tow,  whom  he  raced  out  of  town  on  Sundays ;  a  nucleus 
of  the  school  he  intended  to  form. 

But  will  not  Achilles  become  by  comparison  a  com- 
mon rushlight  where  was  a  blazing  torch,  if  we  see  him 
clap  a  clown's  cap  on  the  head  whose  golden  helm  Avas 
fired  by  Pallas  ? 

Nay,  and  let  him  look  the  hero  still :  all  the  more 
does  he  point  finger  on  his  meanness  of  nature. 

Turning  to  another,  it  is  another  kind  of  shame  that  a 
woman  feels,  if  she  consents  to  an  exchange  of  letters  — 
shameful  indeed,  but  not  such  a  feeling  of  deadly  sick- 
ness as  comes  with  the  humiliating  view  of  an  object  of 


EXHIBITS   EFFECTS   OF   A   PRATTLER'S   DOSES      128 

admiration  degraded.  Bad  she  may  be ;  and  she  may  be 
deceived,  vilely  treated,  in  either  case.  And  what  is  a 
woman's  pride  but  the  staff  and  banner  of  her  soul, 
beyond  all  gifts  ?  He  who  wounds  it  cannot  be  for- 
given —  never  !  —  he  has  killed  the  best  of  her.  '  Aminta 
found  herself  sliding  along  into  the  sentiment  that  the 
splendid  idol  of  a  girl's  worship  is,  if  she  discover  him 
in  the  lapse  of  years  as  an  iufinitesimally  small  one, 
responsible  for  the  woman's  possible  reckless  fit  of  gid- 
diness. And  she  could  see  her  nonsense ;  she  could  not 
correct  it.  Lines  of  the  letters  under  signature  of  Adol- 
phus  were  phosphorescent  about  her :  they  would  recur  ; 
and  she  charged  their  doing  so  on  the  discovered  mean- 
ness of  the  girl's  idol.  Her  wicked  memory  was  caused 
by  his  having  plunged  her  low. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  performed  the  offices  of  attention  to  Mr. 
Weyburn  in  lieu  of  the  Countess,  who  seemed  to  find  it 
a  task  to  sit  at  the  luncheon  table  with  him,  when  Lord 
Ormont  was  absent.  "■  Just  peeped  in,"  she  said,  as  she 
entered  the  library,  "  to  see  if  all  was  comfortable  " ; 
and  gossip  ensued,  not  devoid  of  object.  She  extracted 
an  astonishingly  smooth  description  of  Lady  Charlotte. 
Weyburn  was  brightness  in  speaking  of  the  much  mis- 
understood lady.  "  She's  one  of  the  living  Avomen  of  the 
world." 

''  You  are  sure  you  don't  mean  one  of  the  Avorldly 
women  ?  "  Mrs.  Pagnell  rejoined. 

"  She  has  to  be  known  to  be  liked,"  he  owned. 


124  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  And  you  were,  one  hears,  among  the  favoured  ?  " 
"  I  can  scarcely  pretend  to  that,  ma'am." 
"  You  were  recommended." 
"  Lady  Charlotte  is  devoted  to  her  brother." 
Mrs.  Pagnell's  bosom  heaved.  "  How  strange  Lord 
Ormont  is  !  One  would  suppose,  with  his  indignation 
at  the  country  for  its  treatment  of  him,  admirers  would 
be  welcome.  Oh  dear,  no !  that  is  not  the  way.  On 
board  the  packet,  on  our  voyage  to  Spain,  my  niece  in 
her  cabin,  imploring  mercy  of  Neptune,  as  they  say, 
I  heard  of  Lord  Ormont  among  the  passengers.  I 
could  hardly  credit  my  ears.  For  I  had  been  hearing 
of  him  from  my  niece  ever  since  her  return  from  a 
select  establishment  for  the  education  of  young  ladies, 
not  much  more  than  a  morning's  drive  out  of  London, 
though  Dover  was  my  residence.  She  had  got  a  hero ! 
It  Avas  Lord  Ormont !  Lord  Ormont !  all  day :  and 
when  the  behaviour  of  the  country  to  him  became 
notorious,  Aminta — my  niece  the  Countess  —  she  could 
hardly  contain  herself.  A  secret:  —  I  promised  her  — 
it's  not  known  to  Lord  Ormont  himself:  —  a  printed 
letter  in  a  metropolitan  paper,  copied  into  the  provin- 
cial papers,  upholding  him  for  one  of  the  greatest  of 
our  patriot  soldiers  and  the  saviour  of  India,  was  the 
work  of  her  hands.  You  would,  I  am  sure,  think  it 
really  well  written.  Meeting  him  on  deck  —  the  out- 
line of  the  coast  of  Portugal  for  an  introductory  subject, 
our  Peninsular  battles  and   so  forth  —  I  spoke  of  her 


EXHIBITS    EFFECTS   OF   A   PRATTLER's    DOSES      125 

enthusiasm.  The  effect  was,  to  cut  off  all  communi- 
cation between  us.  I  had  only  to  appear,  Lord  Ormont 
vanished.  I  said  to  myself,  this  is  a  character.  How- 
ever, the  very  mention  of  him  to  my  niece,  as  one  of 
the  passengers  on  board  —  medicine,  miraculous  !  She 
was  up  in  half  an  hour,  out  pacing  the  deck  before 
evening,  hardly  leaning  on  my  arm,  and  the  colour 
positively  beginning  to  show  on  her  cheeks  again.  He 
fled,  of  course.  I  had  prepared  her  for  his  eccentric- 
ities. Next  morning  she  was  out  by  herself.  In  the 
afternoon  Lord  Ormont  strode  up  to  us  —  his  military 
step  —  and  most  courteously  requested  the  honour  of 
an  introduction.  I  had  broken  the  ice  at  last;  from 
that  moment  he  was  cordiality  itself,  until  —  I  will 
not  say,  until  he  had  called  her  his  own  —  a  few  little*" 
misunderstandings!  —  not  with  his  countess.  You  see, 
a  resident  aunt  is  translated  mother-in-law  by  husbands ; 
though  I  spare  them  pretty  frequently ;  I  go  to  friends, 
they  travel.  Here  in  London  she  must  have  a  duena.  — 
The  marriage  at  Madrid,  at  the  Embassy :  —  well,  per- 
haps it  was  a  step  for  us,  for  commoners,  though  we 
rank  with  the  independent.  Has  her  own  little  pin- 
money —  an  inheritance.  Perhaps  Lady  Eglett  gives 
the  world  her  version.  She  may  say  there  was  aiming 
at  station.  I  reply,  never  Avas  there  a  more  whole- 
hearted love-match !  Absolutely  the  girl's  heart  has 
been  his  from  the  period  of  her  schooldays.  Oh  !  a  little 
affair  —  she  was  persecuted  by  a  boy  at  a  neighbouring 


126  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    ARUNTA 

school.  Her  mistress  wrote  me  word  —  a  very  deter- 
mined Romeo,  young  gentleman  indeed  —  quite  alarmed 
about  him.  In  the  bud !  I  carried  her  off  on  the  spot, 
and  snapped  it  effectually.  Warned  he  meant  to  be 
desperate,  I  kept  her  away  from  my  house  at  Dover 
four  months,  place  to  place ;  and  I  did  well.  I  heard 
on  my  return,  that  a  youth,  answering  to  the  school- 
mistress' description  of  him,  had  been  calling  several 
times,  the  first  two  months  and  longer.  You  have  me 
alluding  to  these  little  nonsensical  nothings,  because 
she  seemed  born  to  create  violent  attachments,  even 
at  that  early  day ;  and  Lady  Eglett  —  Lady  Charlotte 
Eglett  may  hear;  for  there  is  no  end  to  them,  and 
impute  them  to  her,  when  really !  —  can  she  be  made 
responsible  for  eyes  innocent  of  the  mischief  they 
appear  destined  to  do  ?  But  I  am  disturbing  you  in 
your  work." 

"You  are  very  good,  ma'am,"  said  the  ghost  of  the 
determined  young  gentleman. 

"  A  slight  cold,  have  you  ? "  Mrs.  Pagnell  asked 
solicitously. 

"  Dear  me,  no  ! "  he  gave  answer  with  a  cleared  throat. 

In  charging  him  with  more  than  he  wanted  to  carry, 
she  supplied  him  with  particulars  he  wanted  to  know ; 
and  now  he  asked  himself  what  could  be  the  gain  of 
any  amount  of  satisfied  curiosity  regarding  a  married 
Amiuta.  She  slew  my  lord  on  board  a  packet-boat ; 
she  bears  the  arrows  that  slay.     My  lord  married  her 


i 


EXHIBITS   EFFECTS   OF   A   PRATTLER's   DOSES      127 

where  the  first  English  chaplain  was  to  be  found; 
that  is  not  wonderful  either.  British  Embassy,  Madrid ! 
Weyburn  believed  the  ceremony  to  have  been  performed 
there :  at  the  same  time,  he  could  hear  Lady  Charlotte's 
voice  repeating  with  her  varied  intonation  Mrs.  Pagnell's 
impressive  utterances ;  and  he  could  imagine  how  the 
somewhat  silly  duenna  aunt,  so  penetrable  in  her  trans- 
parent artifices,  struck  emphasis  on  the  incredulity  of 
people  inclined  to  judge  of  the  reported  ceremony  by 
Lord  Ormont's  behaviour  to  his  captive. 

How  explain  that  strange  matter  ?  But  can  there 
be  a  gain  in  trying  to  sound  it  ?  Weyburn  shuffled  it 
away.  Before  the  fit  of  passion  seized  him,  he  could 
turn  his  eager  mind  from  anytliing  which  had  not  a 
perceptible  point  of  gain,  either  for  bodily  strength 
or  mental  aquisition,  or  for  money,  too,  now  that  the 
school  was  growing  palpable  as  an  infant  in  arms  and 
agape  for  the  breast.  Thought  of  gain,  aud  the  bent 
to  pursue  it,  is  the  shield  of  Athene  over  young  men 
in  the  press  of  the  seductions.  He  had  to  confess  his 
having  lost  some  bits  of  himself  by  reason  of  his 
meditations  latterly ;  and  that  loss,  if  we  let  it  continue 
a  space,  will  show  in  cramp  at  the  wrist,  logs  on  the 
legs,  a  wheezy  wind,  for  any  fellow  vowed  to  physical 
trials  of  strength  aiid  skill.  It  will  show  likewise  in 
the  brain  beating  broken  wings  —  inability  to  shoot  a 
thought  up  out  of  the  body  for  half  a  minute.  And, 
good  Lord !  how  quickly  the  tight  strung  fellow  crumbles, 


128  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

when  once  the  fragmentary  disintegration  has  begun! 
Weyburn  cried  out  on  a  heart  that  bounded  olf  at  prod- 
igal gallops,  and  had  to  be  nipped  with  reminders  of 
the  place  of  good  leader  he  was  for  taking  among  the 
young.  Hang  superexcellence !  but  we  know  those 
moanings  over  the  troubles  of  a  married  woman;  we 
know  their  sources,  know  their  goal,  or  else  we  are  the 
fiction-puppet  or  the  Bedlamite ;  and  she  is  a  married 
woman,  married  at  the  British  Embassy,  Madrid,  if  j^ou 
please !  after  a  few  weeks'  acquaintance  with  her  hus- 
band, who  doubtless  wrote  his  name  intelligibly  in  the 
registrar's  book,  but  does  not  prove  himself  much  the 
hero  when  he  drives  a  pen,  even  for  so  little  as  the 
signing  of  his  name !  He  signed  his  name,  apparently 
not  more  than  partly  pledging  himself  to  the  bond. 
Lord  Ormont's  autobiographical  scraps  combined  with 
Lady  Charlotte's  hints  and  Mrs.  Pagnell's  communica- 
tions, to  provoke  the  secretary's  literary  contempt  of 
his  behaviour  to  his  wife.  However,  the  former  might 
be  mended,  and  he  resumed  the  task. 

It  had  the  restorative  effect  of  touching  him  to  see  his 
old  hero  in  action ;  Avhereby  he  was  brought  about  to  a 
proper  modesty,  so  that  he  really  craved  no  more  than 
for  the  mistress  of  this  house  to  breathe  the  liberal  air 
of  a  public  acknowledgment  of  her  rightful  position. 
Things  constituted  by  their  buoyancy  to  float  are  re- 
markable for  lively  bobbin gs  when  they  are  cast  upon 
the  waters ;  and  such  was  the  case  with  Weyburu;  until 


EXHIBITS  EFFECTS  OF  A  PRATTLER's   DOSES      129 

the  agitation  produced  by  Mrs.  Pagnell  left  him  free  to 
sail  away  in  the  society  of  the  steadiest. 

He  decided  that  by  not  observing,  not  thinking,  not 
feeling,  about  the  circumstances  of  the  household  into 
which  Fate  had  thrown  him,  he  woidd  best  be  able  — 
probably  it  was  the  one  way  —  to  keep  himself  together  ; 
and  his  resolution  being  honest  all  round,  he  succeeded 
in  it  as  long  as  he  abstained  from  a  very  wakeful  vigi- 
lance over  simple  eyesight.  For  if  one  is  nervously  on 
guard  to  not-see,  the  matter  starts  up  winged,  and  enters 
us,  and  kindles  the  mind,  and  tingles  through  the  blood ; 
it  has  us  as  a  foe.  The  art  of  blind  vision  requires  not 
only  practice,  but  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  arts  of 
the  traitor  we  carry  within.  Safest  for  him,  after  all, 
was  to  lay  fast  hold  of  the  particularly  unimportant  per- 
son he  was,  both  there  and  anywhere  else.  The  Countess 
of  Ormont's  manner  toward  him  was  to  be  read  as  a 
standing  index  of  the  course  he  should  follow ;  and  he 
thanked  her.  He  could  not  quite  so  sincerely  thank  her 
aunt.  His  ingratitude  for  the  sickly  dose  she  had  ad- 
ministered to  him  sprang  a  doubt  whether  Lady  Ormont 
now  thanked  her  aunt  on  account  of  services  performed 
at  the  British  Embassy,  Madrid. 

Certain  looks  of  those  eyes  recently,  when  in  colloquy 
with  my  lord,  removed  the  towering  nobleman  to  a  shad- 
owed landscape. 

Was  it  solely  an  effect  of  eyes  commanding  light,  and 
having  every  shaft  of  the  quiver  of  the  rays  at  her  dis- 


130  LORD   ORjNIONT   AND   HIS   AMlNTA 

posal  ?  Or  was  it  a  shot  from  a  powerful  individuality 
issuing  out  of  bondage  to  some  physical  oppressor  no 
longer  master  of  the  soul,  in  peril  of  the  slipping  away 
of  the  body  ?  Her  look  on  him  was  not  hate :  it  was 
larger,  more  terribly  divine.  Those  eyes  had  elsewhere 
once  looked  love :  they  had  planted  their  object  in  a 
throbbing  Eden.  The  man  on  whom  they  had  looked 
shivered  over  the  thought  of  it  after  years  of  blank 
division. 

Rather  than  have  those  eyes  to  look  on  him  their  dis- 
placing unintentness,  the  man  on  whom  they  had  once 
looked  love  would  have  chosen  looks  of  wrath,  the  darts 
that  kill  —  blest  darts  of  the  celestial  Huntress,  giving 
sweet  sudden  cessation  of  pain,  in  the  one  everlasting 
last  flash  of  life  with  thought  that  the  shot  was  hers. 
0  for  the  dyava  (SeXea  of  the  Merciful  in  splendour ! 

These  were  the  outcries  of  the  man  deciding  simulta- 
neously not  to  observe,  not  to  think,  not  to  feel,  and 
husbanding  calculations  upon  storage  of  gain  for  the 
future.  Softness  held  the  song  below.  It  came  of  the 
fact  that  his  enforced  resolution,  for  the  sake  of  sanity, 
drove  his  whole  reflective  mind  backward  upon  his 
younger  days,  when  an  Evening  and  a  Morning  star  in 
him  greeted  the  bright  Goddess  Browny  or  sang  adieu, 
and  adored  beyond  all  golden  beams  the  underworld 
whither  she  had  sunk,  where  she  was  hidden. 

Meanwhile,  the  worthy  dame  who  had  dosed  him  was 
out  in  her  carriage,  busy  paying  visits  to  distinguished 


MRS.    LAWRENCE   FINCHLEY  131 

ladies  of  the  great  world,  with  the  best  of  excuses  for  an 
early  call,  which  was  gossip  to  impart,  such  as  the 
Countess  of  Ormont  had  not  yet  thought  of  mentioning; 
and  two  or  three  of  them  were  rather  amusedly  inter- 
ested to  hear  that  Lord  Ormont  had  engaged  a  handsome 
young  secretary,  ''under  the  patronage  of  Lady  Char- 
lotte Eglett,  devoted  to  sports  of  all  kinds,  immensely 
favoured  by  both."  Gossip  must  often  have  been  likened 
to  the  winged  insect  bearing  pollen  to  the  flowers ;  it 
fertilises  many  a  vacuous  reverie.  Those  flowers  of  the 
upper  garden  are  not,  indeed,  stationary,  and  in  need  of 
the  missionary  buzzer,  but  if  they  have  been  in  one  place 
unmoved  for  one  hour,  they  are  open  to  take  animation 
from  their  visitors.  Aminta  was  pleasantlj^  surprised 
next  day  by  the  receipt  of  a  note  from  Mrs.  Lawrence 
Finchley,  begging  to  be  invited  to  lunch  if  she  came,  as 
she  had  a  purpose  in  the  wish  to  meet  my  lord. 


CHAPTEE  VIII 

MRS.    LAWRENCE    FINCHLEY 

My  lord  had  one  of  his  wilful  likings  for  Isabella 
Lawrence  Finchley,  and  he  consented  to  the  torture  of 
an  hour  of  Mrs.  Nargett  Pagnell  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  just  to  taste  the  favourite  he  welcomed  at  home  as 
he  championed  her  abroad.     The  reasons  were  numer- 


132  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ous  and  intimate  why  she  pleased  him.  He  liked  the 
woman,  enjoyed  the  cause  for  battle  that  she  gave. 
Weyburn,  on  coming  to  the  luncheon  table,  beheld  a 
lady  with  the  head  of  a  comely  boy,  the  manner, 
softened  in  delicate  feminine,  of  a  capital  comrade. 
Her  air  of  candour  was  her  nature  in  her  face;  and 
it  carried  a  guileless  roguery,  a  placid  daring,  a  super- 
sensual  naughtiness,  a  simplicity  of  repose  amid  the 
smoky  reputation  she  created,  that  led  one  to  think 
the  vapour  calumnious  or  the  creature  privileged.  That 
young  boy's  look  opened  him  at  once;  he  had  not 
to  warm  to  her,  —  he  flew.  Ordinarily  the  sweetest 
ladies  will  make  us  pass  through  cold  mist  and  cross 
a  stile  or  two,  or  a  broken  bridge,  before  the  formal- 
ities are  cleared  away  to  grant  us  rights  of  citizenship. 
She  was  like  those  frank  lands  where  we  have  not  to 
hand  out  a  passport  at  the  frontier  and  wait  for  dubious 
inspection  of  it. 

She  prevailed  with  cognisant  men  and  with  the  frivo- 
lous. Women  were  capable  of  appreciating  her,  too; 
as  Aminta  did,  despite  some  hinted  qualifications  ad- 
dressed shyly  to  her  husband.  But  these  were  the  xery 
matters  exciting  his  particular  esteem.  He  was  of 
Lady  Charlotte's  mind,  in  her  hot  zeal  against  injus- 
tice done  to  the  creatures  she  despised;  and  yet  more 
than  she  applauded  a  woman  who  took  up  her  idiot 
husband's  challenge  to  defend  her  good  name,  and 
cleared  it,  right  or  wrong,  and  Ijeat  him  down  on  his 


MRS.   LAWRENCE  FINCHLEY  133 

knees,  and  then  started  for  her  spell  of  the  merry 
canter  over  turf:  an  example  to  the  English  of  the 
punishment  they  get  for  their  stupid  Puritanic  tyranny 
—  sure  to  be  followed  by  a  national  helter-skelter  down 
hill  headlong.  And  Mrs.  Lawrence  was  not  one  of  the 
corrupt,  he  argued:  she  concealed  what  it  was  decent  to 
conceal,  Avithout  pouting  hypocritical  pretences;  she  had 
merely  dispensed  with  idle  legal  formalities,  in  the 
prettiest  curvetting  airy  wanton  way,  to  divorce  the 
man  who  tried  to  divorce  her,  and  "  whined  to  be  for- 
given wlien  he  found  he  couldn't.  Adderwood  was 
ready  to  marry  her  to-morrow,  if  the  donkey  husband 
would  but  go  and  bray  his  last.  Half  a  dozen  others 
were  heads  oif  on  the  same  course  to  that  goal." 

That  was  her  champion's  perusal  of  a  lady  candidly 
asserting  her  right  to  have  breeched  comrades,  and  pay- 
ing for  it  in  the  advocacy  which  compromises.  She  was 
taken  to  be  and  she  was  used  as  a  weapon  wherewith 
to  strike  at  our  Pharisees.  Women  pushing  out  into 
the  world  for  independence,  bleed  heavy  payments  all 
round. 

The  earl's  dovxble-edged  defence  of  her  was  partly  a 
vindication  of  another  husband,  who  allowed  his  wife  to 
call  lier  friend;  lie  was  nevertheless  assured  of  her  not 
being  corrupt,  both  by  his  personal  knowledge  of  the 
lady,  and  his  perception  of  her  image  in  the  bosom  of 
his  wife.  She  did  no  harm  tlicrc,  he  knew  well.  Al- 
though he  was  not  a  man  to  put  his  trust  in  faces,  as  his 


134  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

young  secretary  incliuecl  to  do,  Mrs.  Lawrence's  look  of 
honest  boy  did  count  among  the  pleadings.  And  some- 
what so  might  a  government  cruiser  observe  the  intru- 
sion of  a  white-sailed  yacht  in  protected  sea-waters, 
where  licensed  trawlers  are  at  the  haul. 

Talk  over  the  table  coursed  as  fluently  as  might  be, 
with  Mrs.  Pagnell  for  a  boulder  in  the  stream.  Unin- 
formed by  malice,  she  led  up  to  Lord  Adderwood's 
name,  and  perhaps  more  designedly  spoke  of  Mr.  Mors- 
field,  on  whom  her  profound  reading  into  the  female 
heart  of  the  class  above  her  caused  her  to  harp,  as  "  a 
real  Antinous,"  that  the  ladies  might  discuss  him  and 
Lord  Ormont  wax  meditative. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  pitied  the  patient  gentleman,  while 
asking  him  in  her  mind  who  was  the  author  of  the 
domestic  burden  he  had  to  bear. 

"It  reminds  me,  I  have  a  mission,"  she  said. 
"There's  a  fencing  match  down  at  a  hall  in  the  West, 
near  the  barracks;  private  and  select;  Soldier  and  Civil- 
ian; I  forget  who  challenged  —  Civilian,  one  judges; 
Soldiers  are  the  peaceful  party.  They  want  you  to  act 
'  umpire, '  as  they  call  it,  on  the  military  side,  my  dear 
lord;  a,nd  you  will?  —  I  have  given  my  word  you  will 
bring  Lady  Ormont.  You  will?  —  and  not  let  me  be 
confounded!  Yes,  and  we  shall  make  a  party.  I  see 
consent.  Aminta  will  enjoy  the  switch  of  steel.  I 
love  to  see  fencing.  It  rouses  all  that  is  diabolical 
in  me." 


MRS.    LAWRENCE   FINCHLEY  135 

She  sent  a  skimming  look  at  the  secretary  sitting 
opposite. 

"And  I,"  said  he,  much  freshened. 

"You  fence?" 

"Handle  the  foils." 

"  If  you  must  speak  modestly !     Are  you  in  practice?  " 

"I  spend  an  hour  in  Captain  Chiallo's  fencing  rooms 
generally  every  evening  before  dinner.  I  heard  there 
the  first  outlines  of  the  match  proposed.  You  are  right  j 
it  was  the  Civilian." 

"Mr.  Morsfield,  as  I  suspected." 

She  smiled  to  herself,  like  one  saying,  Not  badly 
managed,  Mr.  Morsfield! 

"Italian  school?"  Lord  Ormont  inquired,  with  a 
screw  of  the  eyelids. 

"French,  my  lord." 

"The  only  school  for  teaching." 

"The  simplest  —  has  the  most  rational  method.  Ital- 
ians are  apt  to  be  tricky.  But  they  were  masters  once, 
and  now  and  then  they  send  out  a  fencer  the  French 
can't  touch." 

"How  would  you  account  for  it?" 

"If  I  had  to  account  for  it,  I  should  say,  hotter 
blood,  cool  nerve,  quick  brain." 

"Hum.     Where  are  we,  then?" 

"We  don't  shine  with  the  small  sword." 

"  We  had  men  neatly  pinked  for  their  slashings  in  the 
Peninsula." 


136  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"We've  had  clever  Irishmen." 

"Hot  enough  blood!  This  man  Morsfield  —  have  yovi 
crossed  the  foils  with  him?  " 

"Goes  at  it  like  a  Spaniard;  though  Spaniards  in 
Paris  have  been  found  wary  enough." 

My  lord  hummed.  "  Fellow  looks  as  if  he  would 
easily  lose  his  head  over  steel." 

"He  can  be  dangerous." 

The  word  struck  on  something,  and  rang. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  had  a  further  murmur  within  her  lips. 
Her  travelling  eye  met  Aminta's  and  passed  it. 

"But  not  dangerous,  surely,  if  the  breast  is  padded?" 
said  Mrs.  Pagnell. 

"Oh  no,  oh  no;  not  in  that  case!"  Mrs.  Lawrence 
ran  out  her  voluble  assent,  and  her  eyelids  blinked ;  her 
fair  boy's  face  was  mischief  at  school  under  shadow  of 
the  master. 

She  said  to  Weyburn :  "  Are  you  one  in  the  list  —  to 
give  our  military  a  lesson?     They  want  it." 

His  answer  was  unheard  by  Aminta.  She  gathered 
from  Mrs.  Lawrence's  pleased  sparkle  that  he  had  been 
invited  to  stand  in  the  list;  and  the  strange,  the  absurd 
spectacle  of  a  young  schoolmaster  taking  the  heroic 
attitude  for  attack  and  defence  wrestled  behind  her 
eyes  with  a  suddenly  vivid  lirst-of-May  cricketing-field, 
a  scene  of  snowballs  flying,  the  vision  of  a  strenuous 
lighted  figure  scaling  to  noble  young  manhood.  Isa- 
bella Lawrence's  look  at  him  spirited  the  bright  past 


MRS.   LAWRENCE   FINCHLEY  137 

out  of  the  wretched  long-brown-coat  shroud  of  the  pres- 
ent, prompting  her  to  grieve  that  some  woman's  hand 
had  not  smoothed  a  small  tuft  of  hair,  disorderly  on  his 
head  a  little  above  the  left  parting,  because  Isabella 
Lawrence  Finchley  could  have  no  recollection  of  how 
it  used  to  toss  feathery-wild  at  his  games. 

My  lord  hummed  again.  "I  suspect  we're  going  to 
get  a  drubbing.  This  fellow  here  has  had  his  French 
maitre  d'armes.     Show  me  your  hand,  sir." 

Weyburn  smiled,  and  extended  his  right  hand,  say- 
ing: "The  wrist  wants  exercise." 

"Ha!  square  thumb,  flesh  full  at  the  nail's  ends;  you 
were  a  bowler  at  cricket." 

"Now  examine  the  palms,  my  lord;  I  judge  by  the 
lines  of  the  palms,"  Mrs.  Pagnell  remarked. 

He  nodded  to  her  and  rose. 

Coffee  had  not  been  served,  she  reminded  him;  it  was 
coming  in,  so  down  he  sat  a  yard  from  the  table ;  out- 
wardly equable,  inwardly  cursing  coffee,  though  he  re- 
fused to  finish  a  meal  without  his  cup. 

"I  think  the  palms  do  betray  something,"  said  Mrs. 
Lawrence;  and  Aminta  said :  "Everything  betrays." 

"ISTo,  my  dear,"  Mrs.  Pagnell  corrected  her;  "the  ex- 
tremities betray,  and  we  cannot  read  the  centre.  Is  it 
not  so,  my  lord?  " 

"It  may  be  as  you  say,  ma'am." 

She  was  disappointed  in  her  scheme  to  induce  a  gen- 
eral examination  of  palms,  and  especially  his  sphinx 
lordship's. 


138  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS   AMESTTA 

Weyburn  controlled  the  tongue  she  so  frequently 
tickled  to  an  elvish  gavotte,  but  the  humour  on  his 
face  touched  Mrs.  Lawrence's  to  a  subdued  good-fellow 
roguishness,  and  he  felt  himself  invited  to  chat  with 
her  on  the  walk  for  a  reposeful  ten  minutes  in  Aminta's 
drawing-room. 

Mrs.  Pagnell,  "quite  enjoying  the  company,"  as  she 
told  her  niece,  was  dismayed  to  hear  her  niece  tell  her 
of  a  milliner's  appointment,  positive  for  three  o'clock; 
and  she  had  written  it  in  her  head  "p.m.,  four 
o'clock,"  and  she  had  mislaid  or  destroyed  the  milliner's 
note;  and  she  still  had  designs  upon  his  lordship's 
palms,  things  to  read  and  hint  around  her  off  the  lines. 
She  departed. 

Lord  Ormont  became  genial;  and  there  was  no  one 
present  who  did  not  marvel  that  he  should  continue  to 
decree  a  state  of  circumstances  more  or  less  necessitat- 
ing the  infliction  he  groaned  under.  He  was  too  lofty 
to  be  questioned,  even  by  his  favourites.  Mrs.  Law- 
rence conjured  the  ghost  of  Lady  Charlotte  for  an 
answer:  this  being  Lord  Adderwood's  idea.  Weyburn 
let  his  thoughts  go  on  fermenting.  Pride  froze  a  be- 
ginning stir  in  the  bosom  of  Aminta. 

Her  lord  could  captivate  a  reluctant  woman's  bosom 
when  he  was  genial.  He  melted  her  and  made  her  call 
up  her  bitterest  pride  to  perform  its  recent  office.  That 
might  have  failed;  but  it  had  support  in  a  second  letter 
received  from  the  man  accounted  both  by  Mrs.  Lawrence 


MRS.    LAWRENCE   FINCHLEY  139 

and  by  Mr.  Weyburn  "  dangerous  " ;  and  the  thought  of 
who  it  was  that  had  precipitated  her  to  "pLay  little 
games "  for  the  sole  sake  of  rousing  him  through  jeal- 
ousy to  a  sense  of  righteous  duty,  armed  her  desperately 
against  him.  She  could  exult  in  having  read  the  second 
letter  right  through  on  receipt  of  it,  and  in  remember- 
ing certain  phrases;  and  notably  in  a  reflection  shot 
across  her  bewildered  brain  by  one  of  the  dangerous 
man's  queer  mad  sentences:  Be  as  iron  as  you  like,  I 
will  strike  you  to  heat;  and  her  thought:  Is  there  assur- 
ance of  safety  in  a  perpetual  defence?  —  all  while  she 
smiled  on  her  genial  lord,  and  signified  agreement, 
with  a  smiting  of  wonderment  at  her  heart,  when  he 
alluded  to  a  panic  shout  of  the  country  for  defence, 
and  said:  "Much  crying  of  that  kind  weakens  the 
power  to  defend  when  the  real  attack  comes."  Was 
it  true? 

"But  say  what  you  propose?"  she  asked. 

Lord  Ormont  proposed  vigilance  and  drill;  a  small 
degree  of  self-sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  population, 
and  a  look-out  head  in  the  War  Department.  He  pro- 
posed to  have  a  nation  of  stout  braced  men  laughing  at 
the  foreign  bully  or  bandit,  instead  of  being  a  pack 
of  whimpering  women;  whom  he  likened  to  the  ran- 
domly Protestant  geese  of  our  country  roadside,  heads 
out  a  yard,  in  a  gabble  of  defence  while  they  go  backing. 

So  thereupon  Aminta's  notion  of  a  resemblance  in  the 
mutual  thought  subsided;  she  relapsed  on  the  cushion- 


140  LORD   ORMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

ing  sentiment  that  she  was  a  woman.  And  —  only  a 
woman!  he  might  exclaim,  if  it  pleased  him;  though 
he  would  never  be  able  to  say  she  was  one  of  the  whim- 
pering. She,  too,  had  the  choice  to  indulge  in  scorn  of 
the  superior  man  stone  blind  to  proceedings  intimately 
affecting  him  —  if  he  cared!     One  might  doubt  it. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  listened  to  him  with  a  mind  more 
disengaged,  and  a  flitting  disapproval  of  Aminta's  un- 
sympathetic ear,  or  reluctance  to  stimulate  the  devout 
attention  a  bruised  warrior  should  have  in  his  tent. 
She  did  not  press  on  him  the  post  of  umpire.  He 
consented  —  at  her  request,  he  said  —  to  visit  the  show ; 
but  refused  any  official  position  that  would,  it  was 
clearly  enough  implied,  bring  his  name  in  any  capac- 
ity whatever  before  the  country  which  had  unpardon- 
ably  maltreated  him. 

Feminine  wits  will  be  set  working,  when  a  point 
has  been  gained;  and  as  Mrs.  Lawrence  could  now 
say  she  had  persuaded  Lord  Ormont  to  gratify  her 
specially,  she  warmed  to  fancy  she  read  him,  and  that 
she  might  have  managed  the  wounded  and  angry  giant. 
Her  minor  intelligence,  caracoling  unhampered  by  har- 
assing emotions,  rebuked  Aminta's  for  not  perceiving 
that  to  win  him  round  to  whatever  a  woman  may  de- 
sire, she  must  be  with  him,  outstrip  him  even,  along  the 
line  he  chooses  for  himself;  abuse  the  country,  rail  at 
the  Government,  ridicule  the  title  of  English  Army, 
proscribe   the   name   of   India   in   his   hearing.     Little 


A   FLASH   OF   THE   BRUISED   WARRIOR  141 

stings  of  jealousy  are  small  insect  bites,  and  do  not 
pique  a  wounded  giant  hardly  sensible  of  irritation 
under  his  huge,  and  as  we  assume  for  our  purpose, 
justifiable  wrath.  We  have  to  speculate  which  way 
does  the  giant  incline  to  go?  and  turn  him  according 
to  the  indication. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  was  driven  by  her  critic  mood  to 
think  Aminta  relied  —  erroneously,  after  woman's  old 
fashion  —  on  the  might  of  superb  dark  eyes  after  hav- 
ing been  captured.  It  seemed  to  her  worse  than  a 
beautiful  woman's  vanity,  a  childishness.  But  her 
boy's  head  held  boy's  brains;  and  Lord  Ormont's 
praise  of  the  splendid  creature's  nerve  when  she  had 
to  smell  powder  in  Spain,  and  at  bull -fights,  and  once 
at  a  wrecking  of  their  carriage  down  a  gully  on  the 
road  over  the  Alpujarras,  sent  her  away  subdued,  envi- 
ous, happy  to  have  kissed  the  cheek  of  the  woman  who 
could  inspire  it. 


CHAPTER  IX 

A    FLASH   OF   THE   BRUISED    WARRIOR 

The  winning  of  Lord  Ormont's  consent  to  look  on  at 
the  little  bout  of  arms  was  counted  an  achievement ;  for 
even  in  his  own  rarefied  upper  circle,  where  the  fervid 
sentiments  are  not  allowed  to  be  seen  plunging,  he 
had  his   troop  of   enthusiasts;   and  they  were  anxious 


142  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

that  he  should  make  an  appearance  in  public,  to  take 
what  consolation  a  misunderstood  and  injured  man  could 
get  from  evidence  of  the  grateful  esteem  entertained  for 
him  by  a  party  of  his  couutrymen,  who  might  reason- 
ably expect  at  the  same  time  to  set  eyes,  at  rather  close 
quarters,  on  the  wonderful  dark  beauty,  supposed  a 
Spaniard,  occasionally  beheld  riding  beside  him.  If  it 
is  possible  to  connect  a  woman  with  the  devoutest  of 
their  anticipations,  the  sons  of  leisure  up  there  will  do 
it.  But,  in  truth,  an  English  world  was  having  cause 
to  ransack  the  dust-heaps  for  neglected  men  of  mettle. 
Our  intermittent  ague,  known  as  dread  of  invasion,  was 
over  the  land.  Twice  down  the  columns  of  panic  news- 
paper correspondence  Lord  Ormont  saw  his  name  cited, 
with  the  effect  on  him  that  such  signs  of  national  re- 
pentance approaching  lodged  a  crabbed  sourness  in  his 
consulting-room,  whether  of  head  or  breast. 

He  was  assailed  by  a  gusty  appeal  from  Lady  Char- 
lotte, bidding  him  seize  the  moment  to  proclaim  his 
views ;  while  the  secretary  had  a  private  missive  from 
her,  wherein,  between  insistency  and  supplication,  she 
directed  him  to  bring  the  subject  before  my  lord  every 
day,  and  be  sure  to  write  out  a  fair  copy  of  the  epistle 
previous  to  the  transmission  of  it.  ''  Capua  "  was  men- 
tioned ;  she  brought  in  "  a  siren,"  too.  Her  brother  was 
to  be  the  soldier  again  —  fling  off  silken  bonds.  The 
world  might  prate  of  his  morality  ;  now  was  the  hour 
for  showing  his  patriotism,  casting  aside  his  just  anger, 


A  FLASH   OF  THE  BRUISED   WARRIOR  143 

and  backing  his  chief's  opinion.  "A  good  chance  to 
get  their  names  together."  To  her  brother  she  declared 
that  the  columns  of  the  leading  journal  were  open  to  him 
—  "■  in  large  type  " ;  he  was  to  take  her  word  for  it ; 
he  had  only  to  "  dictate  away,"  quite  at  his  ease,  just  as 
he  talked  at  Olmer,  and  leave  the  bother  of  the  scribe's 
business  to  his  aide.  "  Lose  no  time,"  she  concluded ; 
"  the  country  wants  your  ideas ;  let  us  have  your  plan.'' 

The  earl  raised  his  shoulders,  and  kept  his  aide  ex- 
clusively at  the  Memoirs.  Weyburn,  however,  read  out 
to  him,  with  accentuation,  foolish  stuff  in  the  recurrent 
correspondence  of  the  daily  sheets,  and  a  complacent 
burgess  article,  meant  to  be  a  summary  of  the  contro- 
versy and  a  recommendation  to  the  country  to  bask  in 
the  sun  of  its  wealth  again. 

"Ay,  be  the  porker  sow  it's  getting  liker  and  liker  to 
every  year  ! "  Lord  Ormont  exclaimed,  and  sprang  on  his 
feet.  "■  Take  a  pen.  Shut  up  that  box.  We'll  give  'em 
digestive  biscuits  for  their  weak  stomachs.  Invasion 
can't  be  done,  they  say !  I  tell  the  doddered  asses  Napo- 
leon would  have  been  over  if  Villeneuve  had  obej^ed 
him  to  the  letter.  Villeneuve  had  a  fit  of  paralj'sis. 
owing  to  the  prestige  of  Nelson  —  that's  as  it  happened. 
And  they  swear  at  prestige,  won't  believe  in  it,  because 
it's  not  fat  bacon.  I  tell  them,  after  Napoleon's  first 
battles,  prestige  did  half  his  work  for  him.  It  saved 
him  at  Essling  from  a  plunge  into  the  Danube ;  it  saved 
him  at  Moskowa;  it  would  have  marched  him  half  over 


144  LORD   ORMONT   A^TD   HIS   AMINTA 

England  at  his  first  jump  on  our  sliingle  beach.  But 
that  squelch  of  fat  citizens  should  be  told  —  to  the  devil 
with  them !  will  they  ever  learn  ?  short  of  a  second 
William  !  —  there  were  eight-and-forty  hours  when  the 
liberty  of  this  country  hung  wavering  in  the  balance 
with  those  Boulogne  boats.  Now  look  at  Ulm  and 
Austerlitz,  Essling,  Wagram ;  put  the  victors  in  those 
little  affairs  to  front  our  awkward  squads.  The 
French  could  boast  a  regimental  system,  and  chiefs  who 
held  them  as  the  whist-player  his  hand  of  cards.  Had 
we  a  better  general  than  the  Archduke  Charles  ?  or  cav- 
alry and  artillery  equal  to  the  Hungarian  ?  or  drilled 
infantry  numbering  within  eighty  thousand  of  the 
Boulogne-Wimereux  camps  ?  We  had  nothing  but  the 
raw  material  of  courage  —  pluck,  and  no  science.  Ask 
any  boxing  man  what  he  thinks  of  the  chances.  The 
French  might  have  sacrificed  a  fleet  to  land  fifty  thou- 
sand. Our  fleet  was  our  one  chance.  Any  foreign  gen- 
eral at  the  head  of  fifty  thousand  trained,  picked  troops 
would  risk  it,  and  cut  an  entrechat  for  joy  of  the  chance. 
We  should  have  fought  and  bled  and  been  marched  over 
—  a  field  of  Anglo-Saxon  stubble !  and  Nelson  riding  the 
Channel,  undisputed  lord  of  the  waters.  Heigh  !  by  the 
Lord,  this  country  would  have  been  like  a  man  free  to 
rub  his  skin  with  his  hand  and  a  mortal  disease  in  his 
blood.  Are  you  ready  ?  How  anticipate  a  hostile 
march  on  the  capital,  is  our  business." 

Striding    up    and    down    the    library,    Lord   Ormout 


A   FLASH   OF  THE   BRUISED   WARRIOR  145 

dropped  his  wrath  to  dictate  the  practical  measures 
for  defence  —  detesting  the  cat's-cry  "  defence  "  he  said ; 
but  the  foe  would  bring  his  old  growlers,  and  we  should 
have  to  season  our  handful  of  regulars  and  mob  of  levies, 
turn  the  mass  into  troops.  With  plenty  of  food,  and 
blows  daily,  Englishmen  soon  get  stomachs  for  the  right 
way  to  play  the  game ;  bowl  as  well  as  bat ;  and  the 
sooner  they  give  up  the  idea  of  shamming  sturdy  on  a 
stiff  hind  leg,  the  better  for  their  chances.  Only,  it's  a 
beastly  thing  to  see  that  for  their  favourite  attitude,  — 
like  some  dog  of  a  fellow  weak  in  the  lists,  weaker  in 
the  midriff,  at  a  fair,  who  cries,  (Jome  on,  and  prays  his 
gods  you  won't.  All  for  peace,  the  rascal  boasts  him- 
self, and  he  beats  his  wife  and  kicks  his  curs  at  home. 
Is  there  any  one  to  help  him  now,  he  vomits  gold  and 
honours  on  the  man  he  yesterday  treated  as  a  felon. 
Ha! 

Bull  the  bumpkin  disposed  of,  my  lord  drew  leisurely 
back  from  the  foeman's  landing-place,  at  the  head  of  a 
body  of  serious  Englishmen ;  teaching  them  to  be  man- 
ageable as  chess-pieces,  ready  as  bow-strings  to  let  fly. 
Weyburn  rejoiced  to  find  himself  transcribing  crisp  sen- 
tences, hard  on  the  matter,  witliout  garnish  of  scorn. 
Kent,  Sussex,  Surrey,  all  the  southern  heights  about 
London,  round  away  to  the  soutli-western  of  the  Hamp- 
shire heathland,  were  accurately  mapped  in  the  old 
warrior's  brain.  He  knew  his  points  of  vantage  by 
name  ;  there  were  no  references  to  gazetteer  or  atlas.     A 


146  LORD   ORMONT   Al^D   HIS   AMINTA 

chain  of  forts  and  eartliworks  enables  us  to  choose  our 
ground,  not  for  clinging  to  them,  but  for  choice  of  time 
and  place  to  give  battle.  If  we  have  not  been  playing 
double-dyed  traitor  to  ourselves,  we  have  a  preponderat- 
ing field  artillery ;  our  yeomanry  and  volunteer  horsemen 
are  becoming  a  serviceable  cavalry  arm;  our  infantry 
prove  that  their  heterogeneous  composition  can  be  welded 
to  a  handy  mass,  and  can  stand  fire  and  return  it,  and 
not  be  beaten  by  an  acknowledged  defeat. 

"  That's  English  !  yes,  that's  English !  when  they're  at 
it,"  my  lord  sang  oirt. 

''To  know  how  to  take  a  licking,  that  wins  in  the 
end,"  cried  Weyburn ;  his  former  enthusiasm  for  the  hero 
mounting,  enlightened  by  a  reminiscence  of  the  precept 
he  had  hammered  on  the  boys  at  Cuper's. 

"They  fall  well.  Yes,  the  English  fall  like  men," 
said  my  lord,  pardoning  and  embracing  the  cuffed  nation. 
"  Bodies  knocked  over,  hearts  upright.  That's  example ; 
we  breed  Ironsides  out  of  a  sight  like  that.  If  it  weren't 
for  a  cursed  feeble  Government  scraping  conges  to  the 
taxpayer  —  well,  so  many  of  our  good  fellows  would  not 
have  to  fall.  That  I  say ;  for  this  thing  is  going  to  hap- 
pen some  day,  mind  you,  sir !  And  I  don't  want  to  have 
puncheons  and  hogsheads  of  our  English  blood  poured 
out  merely  to  water  the  soil  of  a  conquered  country 
because  English  Governments  are  a  craven  lot,  not  dar- 
ing risk  of  office  by  offending  the  taxpayer.     But,  on ! " 

Weyburn  sent  Lady  Charlotte  glowing  words  of  the 
composition  in  progress. 


A  FLASH   OF  THii  BRUISED   WARRIOR  l47 

They  worked  through  a  day,  and  a  second  day  — 
talked  of  nothing  else  in  the  intervals.  Explanatory 
answers  were  vouchsafed  to  Aminta's  modest  inquiries 
at  lunch,  as  she  pictured  scenes  of  smoke,  dust  and  blood 
from  the  overpowering  plain  masculine  lines  they  drew, 
terrible  in  bluntness.  The  third  morning  Lord  Ormont 
had  map  and  book  to  verify  distances  and  attempt  a 
scale  of  heights,  take  names  of  estates,  farms,  parishes, 
commons,  patches  of  woodland.  Weyburn  wrote  his 
fair  copy  on  folio  paper,  seven-and-thirty  pages.  He 
read  it  aloud  to  the  author  on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth 
day,  with  the  satisfaction  in  his  voice  that  he  felt.  My 
lord  listened  and  nodded.  The  plan  for  the  defence  of 
England's  heart  was  a  good  plan. 

He  signed  to  have  the  manuscript  handed  to  him.  A 
fortified  London  secure  of  the  Thames  for  abundant  sup- 
plies, well  able  to  breathe  within  earthworks  extending 
along  the  southern  hills,  was  clearly  shown  to  stand  the 
loss  of  two  big  battles  on  the  Sussex  weald  or  more  East 
to  North-east,  if  fortune  willed  it. 

He  rose  from  his  chair,  paced  some  steps,  with  bent 
head,  came  back  thoughtfully,  lifted  the  manuscript 
sheets  for  another  examination.  Then  he  stooped  to  the 
fire,  spreading  the  edges  unevenly,  so  that  they  caught 
flame.  Weyburn  spied  at  him.  It  was  to  all  appearance 
the  doing  of  a  man  who  had  intended  it  and  brought  it 
to  the  predetermined  conclusion. 

"  About   time   for    you  to    be    oft"   for    your   turn  at 


148  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AlvnNTA 

Chiallo's,"  our  country's  defender  remarked,  after  toss- 
ing the  last  half -burnt  lump  under  the  grate  and  shovel- 
ling at  it. 

"  I  will  go,  my  lord,"  said  Weyburn ;  and  he  was  glad 
to  go. 

He  went,  calculating  his  term  of  service  under  Lord 
Ormont.  He  was  young,  not  a  philosopher.  Waste  of 
anything  was  abhorrent  to  a  nature  pointed  at  store  of 
daily  gain,  if  it  were  only  the  gain  in  a  new  or  a 
freshened  idea;  and  time  lost,  work  lost,  good  counsel 
to  the  nation  lost,  represented  horrid  vacuity  to  him, 
and  called  up  the  counter  demonstration  of  a  dance 
down  the  halls  of  madness,  for  proof  that  we  should,  at 
least,  have  jolly  motion  of  limbs  there  before  Perdition 
struck  the  great  gong.  Ay,  and  we  should  be  twirling 
with  a  fair  form  on  the  arm :  woman  and  man ;  as  it 
ought  to  be ;  twirling  downwards,  true,  but  togetlier ! 
Such  a  companionship  has  a  wisdom  to  raise  it  above  the 
title  of  madness.  Name  it,  heartily,  pleasure;  and  in 
contempt  of  the  moralist  burgess,  praise  the  dance  of 
the  woman  and  the  man  together  high  over  a  curmud- 
geonly humping  solitariness,  that  won't  forgive  an 
injury,  nurses  rancour,  smacks  itself  in  the  face,  because 
it  can't  —  to  use  the  old  schoolboy  words  —  take  a 
licking ! 

These  were  the  huddled,  drunken  sensations  and 
thoughts  entertained  by  Weyburn,  without  his  reflecting 
on  the  detachment  from  his  old  hero,  of  which  they  were 


A  FLASH   OF  THE   BRUISED   WARRIOR  149 

the  sign.  He  criticised  impulsively,  and  fancied  he  did 
no  more,  and  was  not  doing  much ;  though,  in  fact, 
criticism  is  the  end  of  worship ;  the  Brutus  blow  at  that 
Imperial  but  mortal  bosom. 

The  person  criticised  was  manifest.  Who  was  the 
woman  he  twirled  with?  She  was  unfeatured,  undis- 
tinguished, one  of  the  sex,  or  all  the  sex :  the  sex  to  be 
shunned  as  our  deadly  sapper  of  gain,  unless  we  find  the 
chosen  one  to  super-terrestialise  it  and  us,  and  trebly 
and  trebly  outdo  our  gift  of  our  whole  self  for  her. 

She  was  indistinguishable,  absolutely  unknown ;  yet 
she  murmured,  or  seemed  to  murmur —  for  there  was  no 
sound  —  a  complaint  of  Lord  Ormont.  And  she,  or  some 
soundless  mouth  of  woman,  said  he  was  a  splendid  mili- 
tary hero,  a  chivalrous  man,  a  man  of  inflexible  honour ; 
but  had  no  understanding  of  how  to  treat  a  woman,  or 
belief  in  her  having  equal  life  with  him  on  earth. 

She  was  put  aside  rather  ]»etulantly,  and  she  took  her 
seat  out  of  the  whirl  with  submission.  Thinking  she 
certainly  was  not  Browny,  whom  he  would  have  known 
among  a  million,  he  tried  to  quit  the  hall,  and  he  twirled 
afresh,  necessarily  not  alone;  it  is  the  unpardonable 
offence  both  to  the  Graces  and  the  Great  Mother  for  man 
to  valse  alone.  She  twirled  on  his  arm,  uninvited ; 
accepted,  as  in  the  course  of  nature ;  hugged,  under 
dictate  of  the  nature  of  the  man  steeled  against  her  by 
the  counting  of  gain,  and  going  uoAV  at  desperation's 
pace,  by  very  reason  of  those  defensive  locked   steam- 


150  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMiNTA 

valves  meant  to  preserve  him  from  this  madness,  —  for 
the  words  of  the  red-lipped  mate,  where  there  were  no 
words,  went  through  him,  like  a  music  when  the  bow  is 
over  the  viol,  sweeping  imagination,  and  they  said  her 
life  was  wasting. 

Was  not  she  a  priceless  manuscript  cast  to  the  flames  ? 
Her  lord  had  been  at  some  trouble  to  win  her.  Or  his 
great  fame  and  his  sliadowed  fortunes  had  won  her.  He 
took  her  for  his  own,  and  he  would  not  call  her  his  own. 
He  comported  himself  with  absolute,  with  kindly  defer- 
ence to  the  lady  wliose  more  than  vital  spark  he  let  the 
gossips  puft"  at  and  blur.  He  praised  her  courage,  visibly 
admired  her  person,  admitted  her  in  private  to  be  his 
equal,  degraded  her  in  public.  Could  anythmg  account 
for  the  behaviour  of  so  manly  and  noble  a  gentleman  ?  — 
Rhetoric  made  the  attempt,  and  Weyburn  gave  up  the 
windy  business. 

Discovering  that  his  fair  partner  of  the  wasting  life 
was  —  he  struggled  to  quench  the  revelation  —  Aminta, 
he  stopped  the  dance.  If  there  was  no  gain  in  whirling 
fancifully  with  one  of  the  sex,  a  spin  of  a  minute  with 
her  was  downright  bankruptcy. 

He  was  young,  full  of  blood ;  his  heart  led  him  away 
from  the  door  Lord  Ormont  had  exposed;  at  which  a 
little  patient  unemotional  watchfulness  might  have 
intimated  to  him  something  besides  the  simple  source  of 
the  old  hero's  complex  chapter  of  conduct.  As  it  was, 
Weyburn   did   see    the    rancour  of    a    raw    wound   in 


A   PASSAGE  IN  THE   GAME   PLAYED   BY  TWO      151 

operation.  But  he  moralised  and  disapproved  j  telling 
himself,  truly  enough,  that  so  it  would  not  have  been 
with  him ;  instead  of  sounding  at  my  lord's  character, 
and  his  condition  of  the  unjustly  neglected  great  soldier, 
for  the  purpose  of  asking  how  that  raw  wound  would 
affect  an  injured  veteran,  who  compressed,  almost 
repressed,  the  roar  of  Achilles,  though  his  military 
bright  name  was  to  him  his  Briseis. 


CHAPTER  X 

A   SHORT   PASSAGE   IN    THE    GAME    PLAYED    BY    TWO 

Politest  of  men  in  the  domestic  circle  and  every- 
where among  women,  Lord  Ormont  was  annoyed  to  find 
himself  often  gruffish  behind  the  tie  of  his  cravat. 
Indeed,  the  temper  of  our  eminently  serene  will  feel  the 
strain  of  a  doldrum-dulness  that  is  goaded  to  activity 
by  a  nettle.  The  forbearance  he  carried  farther  than 
most  could  do  was  tempted  to  kick,  under  pressure  of 
Mrs.  Nargett  Pagnell.  Without  much  blaming  Aminta, 
on  whose  behalf  he  submitted  to  it,  and  whose  resolu- 
tion to  fix  in  England  had  brought  it  to  this  crisis,  he 
magnanimously  proposed  to  the  Fair  Enemy  he  forced 
her  to  be,  and  liked  to  picture  her  as  being,  a  month 
in  Paris. 

Aminta  declined  it  for  herself;  after  six  or  more  years 


152  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS   AMINTA 

of  travelling,  she  wished  to  settle,  and  know  her  coun- 
try, she  said:  a  repetition  remark,  wide  of  the  point, 
and  indicatory  to  the  game  of  Pull  she  was  again 
j)laying  beneath  her  smooth  visage,  unaware  that  she 
had  the  wariest  of  partners  at  the  game. 

"Bvit  go  you  —  do,  I  beg,"  she  intreated.  "It  will 
give  you  new  impressions ;  and  I  cannot  bear  to  tie  you 
down  here." 

"How  can  you  consent  to  be  tied  down  here,  is  the 
wonder  to  me!  "  said  he.  "When  we  travelled  through 
the  year,  just  visited  England  and  were  off  again,  we 
were  driving  on  our  own  road.  Vienna  in  April  and 
May  —  what  do  you  say?  You  like  the  reviews  there, 
and  the  dances,  concerts;  Zigeuner  bands,  military 
Bohemian  bands.  Or  Egypt  to-morrow,  if  you  like  — 
though  you  can't  be  permitted  to  swim  in  the  Nile,  as 
you  wanted.  Come,  Xarifa,  speak  it.  I  go  to  exile 
without  you.     Say  you  come." 

She  smiled  firmly.  The  name  of  her  honeymoon  days 
was  not  a  cajolery  to  her. 

His  name  had  been  that  of  the  Christian  Komancero 
Knight  Durandarte,  and  she  gave  it  to  him,  to  be  on  the 
proper  level  with  him,  while  she  still  declined. 

"Well,  but  just  a  month  in  Paris!  There's  nothing 
doing  here.     And  we  both  like  the  French  theatre." 

"London  will  soon  be  filling." 

"Well,   but "      He   stopped;    for   the   filling   of 

London  did  really  concern  her,  in  the  game  of  Pull  she 


A   PASSAGE   IN  THE  GAME   PLAYED   BY   TWO       153 

was  covertly  playing  with  him.  "You  seem  to  have 
caught  the  fever  of  this  London;  ...  no  bands,  .  .  . 
no  reviews  .  .  .  Low  comedy  acting."  He  muttered 
his  objections  to  London. 

"The  society  of  people  speaking  one's  own  tongue 
add  that,"  she  ventured  to  say. 

"You  know  you  are  ten  times  more  Spanish  than 
English.     Moorish,  if  you  like." 

"The  slave  of  the  gallant  Christian  Knight,  con- 
verted, baptised,  and  blissful.  Oh,  I  know.  But  now 
we  are  settled  in  England  I  have  a  wish  to  study 
English  society." 

"Disappointing,  I  assure  you; — dinners  heavy,  danc- 
ing boorish,  intrigue  a  blind-man's-buff.  We've  been 
over  it  all  before !  " 

"We  have." 

"Admired,  I  daresay.     You  won't  be  understood." 

"I  like  my  countrymen." 

"The  women  have  good  looks  —  of  the  ungarnished 
kind.     The  men  are  louts." 

"They  are  brave." 

"You're  to  see  their  fencing.  You'll  own  a  little 
goes  a  long  way." 

"I  think  it  will  amuse  me." 

"  So  I  thought  when  I  gave  the  nod  to  Isabella  your 
friend." 

"  You  like  her  ?  " 

"  You,  too." 


154  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  One  fancies  she  would  make  an  encouraging  second 
in  a  duel." 

" I  will  remember  .   .   .  when  I  call  you  out." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  lord,  you  have  dozens  to  choose  from ; 
leave  me  my  one,  if  we  are  to  enter  the  lists." 

"We  are,  it  seems;  unless  you  consent  to  take  the 
run  to  Paris.     You  are  to  say  Tom,  or  Eowsley." 

"The  former,  I  never  can  feel  at  home  in  saying; 
Rowsley  is  Lady  Charlotte's  name  for  you." 

The  name  of  Lady  Charlotte  was  an  invitation  to  the 
conflict  between  them.  He  passed  it,  and  said:  "Du- 
randarte  runs  a  mile  on  the  mouth,  and  the  Coriolanus  of 
their  newspapers  helps  a  stage-player  to  make  lantern 
jaws.  Neither  of  them  comes  well  from  the  lips  of  my 
girl.  After  seven  years  she  should  have  hit  on  a  nick- 
name, if  none  of  the  Christian  suit.  I  am  not  'at 
home'  either  with  'my  lord.'  However,  you  send  me 
off  to  Paris  alone;  and  you'll  be  alone  and  dull  here 
in  this  London.     Incomprehensible  to  me  why!  " 

"We  are  both  wondering?"  said  Aminta. 

"You're  handsomer  than  when  I  met  you  first  —  by 
heaven  you  are ! " 

She  flushed  her  dark  brown-red  late-sunset.  "  Prunes 
are  exceptional  in  England." 

"Thousands  admiring  you,  of  course!  I  know,  my 
love,  I  have  a  jewel." 

She  asked  him:  "What  are  jewels  for?"  and  he 
replied,  "To  excite  cupidity." 


A  PASSAGE  IN  THE   GAME   PLAYED   BY   TWO      155 

"When  they're  shut  in  a  box?" 

'"Ware  burglars!  But  this  one  is  not  shut  up.  She 
shuts  herself  up.  And  up  go  her  shoulders!  Decide 
to  be  out  of  it,  and  come  to  Paris  for  some  life  for  a 
month.  No?  It's  positive?  When  do  you  expect 
your  little  school  friend?" 

"After  Easter.     Aunt  will  be  away." 

"Your  little  friend  likes  the  country.  I'll  go  to  my 
house  agents.  If  there's  a  country  house  open  on  the 
upper  Thames,  you  can  have  swimming,  boating, 
botanising  ..." 

He  saw  her  throat  swallow.  But  as  he  was  offering 
agreeable  things  he  chose  to  not  understand  how  he 
was  to  be  compassionate. 

"Steignton?"  she  said,  and  did  her  cause  no  good  by 
saying  it  feebly. 

His  look  of  a  bygone  awake-in-sleep  old  look,  drearily 
known  to  her,  was  like  a  strip  of  sunlight  on  a  fortress 
wall.  It  signified.  Is  the  poor  soul  pushing  me  back  to 
that  again. 

She  compelled  herself  to  say:  "Your  tenant  there?" 

"Matter  of  business  .  .  .  me  and  my  tenant,"  he 
remarked.     "The  man  pays  punctually." 

"The  lease  has  expired." 

"Not  quite.     You  are  misinformed." 

"At  Easter." 

"  Ah !     Question  of  renewing. " 

"You  were  fond  of  the  place.'' 


166  LOED   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"I  was  fond  of  tlie  place?  Thank  Blazes,  I'm  nat 
what  I  was !  "  He  paced  about.  "  There's  not  a  corner 
of  the  place  that  doesn't  scrcAv  an  eye  at  me,  because  I 
had  a  dream  there.     La  gloire  !  " 

The  rest  he  muttered.     "  These  English !  "  was  heard. 

Aminta  said:  ''Am  I  never  to  see  Steignton?" 

Lord  Ormont  invoked  the  Powers.  He  could  not 
really  give  answer  to  this  female  talk  of  the  eternities. 

"Beaten  I  can  never  be,"  he  said,  with  instinctive 
indulgence  to  the  greater  creature.  "But  down  there  at 
Steignton,  I  should  be  haunted  by  a  young  donke}'' 
swearing  himself  the  fellow  I  grew  up  out  of.  No 
doubt  of  that.  I  don't  like  him  the  better  for  it. 
Steignton  grimaces  at  a  cavalry  ofl&cer  fool  enough  at 
his  own  risks  and  penalties  to  help  save  India  for  the 
English.  Maunderers!  You  can't  tell  —  they  don't 
know  themselves  — what  they  mean.  Except  that  they're 
ready  to  take  anything  you  hand  'em,  and  then  pipe  to 
your  swinging.  I  served  them  well  —  and  at  my  age, 
in  full  activity,  they  condemn  me  to  sit  and  gape!  " 

He  stopped  his  pacing  and  gazed  on  the  glass  of  the 
window. 

"  Would  you  wish  me  not  to  be  present  at  this  fenc- 
ing? "  said  Aminta. 

"Dear  me!  by  all  means,  go,  my  love,"  he  replied. 

Any  step  his  Fair  Enemy  won  in  the  secret  game  of 
Pull  between  them,  she  was  undispvitedly  to  keep. 

She  suggested:  "It  might  lead  to  unpleasantness." 


A  PASSAGE  IN   THE   GAME  PLAYED  BY   TWO      157 

"Of  what  sort?" 

"  You  ask?  " 

He  emphasized:  "Have  you  forgotten?  Something 
happened  after  that  last  ball  at  Challis's  Eooms.  Their 
women  as  well  as  their  men  must  be  careful  not  to 
cross  me." 

Aminta  had  confused  notion  of  her  being  planted  in 
hostile  territory,  and  torn  and  knitted,  trumpeted  to  the 
world  as  mended,  but  not  honourably  mended  in  a  way 
to  stop  corridor  scandal.  The  ball  at  Challis's  Rooms 
had  been  one  of  her  steps  won:  it  had  necessitated  a 
requirement  for  the  lion  in  her  lord  to  exhibit  himself, 
and  she  had  gained  nothing  with  Society  by  the  step, 
owing  to  her  poor  performance  of  the  lion's  mate.  She 
had,  in  other  words,  shunned  the  countenance  of  some 
scattered  people  pityingly  ready  to  support  her  against 
the  deadly  passive  party  known  to  be  Lady  Charlotte's. 

She  let  her  lord  go;  thinking  that  once  more  had  she 
striven  and  gained  nothing :  which  was  true  of  all  their 
direct  engagements.  And  she  had  failed  because  of  her 
being  only  a  woman !  Mr.  Morsfield  was  foolishly  wrong 
in  declaring  that  she,  as  a  woman,  had  reserves  of 
strength.  He  was  perhaps  of  Lady  Charlotte's  mind 
with  regard  to  the  existence  of  a  Countess  of  Ormont, 
or  he  would  know  her  to  be  incredibly  cowardly. 
Cowardly  under  the  boast  of  pride,  too;  well,  then,  say, 
if  you  like,  a  woman! 

Yet  this  mere  shallow  woman  would  not  hesitate  to 


158  LORD    ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

meet  the  terrible  Lady  Charlotte  at  any  instant,  on  any 
terms :  and  what  are  we  to  think  of  a  soldier,  hero,  lion, 
dreading  to  tell  her  to  her  face  that  the  persecuted 
woman  is  his  wife! 

"Am  I  a  woman  they  can  be  ashamed  of?"  she 
asked,  and  did  not  seek  the  answer  at  her  mirror.  She 
was  in  her  bedroom,  and  she  put  out  a  hand  to  her 
jewel-box,  fingered  it,  found  it  locked,  and  abandoned 
her  idle  project.  A  gentleman  was  "dangerous."  She 
had  not  found  him  so.  He  had  the  reputation,  perhaps, 
because  he  was  earnest.  Not  so  very  many  men  are 
earnest.  She  called  to  recollection  how  ludicrously 
practical  he  was  in  the  thick  of  his  passion.  His  third 
letter  (addressed  to  the  Countess  of  Ormont  —  whom  he 
manifestly  did  not  or  would  not  take  to  be  the  veritable 
Countess  —  and  there  was  much  to  plead  for  his  error), 
or  was  it  his  fourth? — the  letters  were  a  tropical  hail- 
storm :  —  third  or  fourth,  he  broke  off  a  streaked 
thunder-peal,  to  capitulate  his  worldly  possessions, 
give  the  names  and  degrees  of  kinship  of  his  relatives, 
the  exact  amount  of  the  rent-roll  of  his  Yorkshire 
estates,  of  his  funded  property. 

Silly  man!  but  not  contemptible.  He  proposed  every- 
thing in  honour,  from  his  view  of  it. 

Whether  in  his  third,  fourth,  or  fifth  letter.  .  .  . 
How  many  had  come?  She  drew  the  key  from  her 
purse,  and  opened  a  drawer.  The  key  of  the  jewel-box 
was  applied  to  the  lock. 


THE    SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      159 

Mr.  Morsfield  had  sent  her  six  flaming  letters.  He 
not  only  took  no  precautions,  he  boasted  that  he  hailed 
the  conseq\iences  of  discovery.     Six! 

She  lifted  a  pen :  it  had  to  be  done. 

He  was  briefly  informed  that  he  disturbed  her  peace. 
She  begged  he  would  abstaiia  from  any  further  writing 
to  her. 

The  severity  was  in  the  brevity.  The  contrast  of  her 
style  and  his  appeared  harsh.  But  it  belonged  to  the 
position. 

Having  with  one  dash  of  the  pen  scribbled  her  three 
lines,  she  slipped  the  letter  into  her  pocket.  That  was 
done,  and  it  had  to  be  done ;  it  ought  to  have  been  done 
before.  How  simple  it  was  when  one  contemplated  it 
as  actually  done!  Aminta  made  the  motion  of  a  hand 
along  the  paper,  just  a  flourish.  Soon  after,  her  head 
dropped  back  on  the  chair,  and  her  eyes  shut ;  she  took 
in  breath  through  parted  lips.  The  brief  lines  of 
writing  had  cut  away  a  lump  of  her  vitality. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    SECRETARY    TAKEN    AS    AN    ANTIDOTE 

Dusty  wayfarers  along  a  white  highroad  who  know 
of  a  bubbling  little  spring  across  a  stile,  on  the  Avood- 
land  borders  of  deep  grass,  are  hailed  to  sit  beside  it 


160  LORD   ORJSrONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

awhile;  and  Aminta's  feverishness  was  cooled  by  now 
and  then  a  quiet  conversation  with  the  secretary  ambi- 
tious to  become  a  schoolmaster.  Lady  Charlotte  liked 
him,  so  did  her  lord;  Mrs.  Lawrence  had  chatted  with 
him  freshly,  as  it  was  refreshing  to  recollect;  nobody 
tliouglit  him  a  stunted  growth. 

In  Aminta's  realised  recollections,  amid  the  existing 
troubles  of  her  mind,  the  charge  against  him  grew  paler, 
and  she  could  no  longer  quite  tliink  that  the  young  hero 
transformed  into  a  Mr.  Cuper  had  deceived  her,  though 
he  had  done  it  —  much  as  if  she  had  assisted  at  the 
planting  and  watched  aforetime  the  promise  of  a  noble 
tree,  to  find  it,  after  an  interval  of  years,  pollarded  —  a 
short  trunk  shooting  out  a  shock  of  small,  slim,  stiff 
branches;  dwarfed  and  disgraced;  serviceable  perhaps; 
not  ludicrous  or  ugly,  certainly,  taking  it  for  a  pollard. 
And  he  was  a  cool  well-spring  to  talk  with.  He,  sup- 
posed once  to  be  a  passionate  nature,  scorned  passion  as 
a  madness;  he  smiled  in  his  merciful  executioner's  way 
at  the  high  society,  of  which  her  aim  was  to  pass  for 
one  among  the  butterflies  or  dragonflies;  he  had  lost  his 
patriotism;  he  labelled  our  Englisli  classes  the  skimmers, 
the  gorgers,  the  grubbers,  and  stigmatised  them  with  a 
friendly  air;  and  uttered  words  of  tolerance  only  for 
farmers  and  surgeons  and  schoolmasters.  But  that  was 
quite  incidental  in  the  humorous  run  of  his  talk,  divert- 
ing to  hear  Avliile  it  lasted.  He  had,  of  course,  a  right 
to  his  ideas. 


THE   SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS    AN   ANTIDOTE      161 

No  longer  concerned  in  contesting  tliem,  she  drank  at 
the  water  of  this  plain  eartli-well,  and  hoped  she  pre- 
ferred it  to  fiery  draughts,  thoiigli  it  was  flattish,  or 
say,  flavourless.  In  the  other  there  was  excess  of  fla- 
vour—  or,  no,  spice  it  had  to  be  called.  The  young 
schoolmaster's  world  seemed  a  sunless  place,  the  world 
of  traders  bargaining  for  gain,  without  a  glimmer  of 
the  rich  generosity  to  venture  life,  give  it,  dare  all  for 
native  land  —  or  for  the  one  beloved.  Love  pressed  its 
claim  on  heroical  generosity,  and  instantly  it  suffused 
her,  as  an  earth  under  flush  of  sky.  The  one  beloved ! 
She  had  not  known  love;  she  was  in  her  five-and- 
twentieth  year,  and  love  was  not  only  unknown  to  her, 
it  was  shut  away  from  her  by  the  lock  of  a  key  that 
opened  on  no  estimable  worldly  advantage  in  exchange, 
but  opened  on  a  dreary,  clouded  round,  such  as  she  had 
used  to  fancy  it  must  be  to  the  beautiful  creamy  circus- 
horse  of  the  tossing  mane  and  flowing  tail  and  superb 
step.  She  was  admired;  she  was  just  as  much  doomed 
to  a  round  of  paces,  denied  the  glorious  fling  afield,  her 
nature's  food.  Hitherto  she  would  have  been  shame- 
faced as  a  boy  in  forming  the  word  "love";  now, 
believing  it  denied  to  her  for  good  and  all  —  for  ever 
and  ever  —  her  bosom  held  and  uttered  the  word.  She 
saw  the  word,  the  nothing  but  the  word  that  it  was, 
and  she  envisaged  it,  for  the  purpose  of  saying  adieu  to 
it  —  goodbye  even  to  the  poor  empty  word. 

This  condition  was  attributable  to  a  gentleman's  wild 


162  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AillNTA 

raging  with  the  word,  into  which  he  had  not  infused 
the  mystic  spirit.  He  poured  hot  wine  and  spiced.  If 
not  the  spirit  of  love,  it  was  really  the  passion  of  the 
man.  Her  tremors  now  and  again  in  the  reading  of  his 
later  letters  humiliated  her,  in  the  knowledge  that  they 
came  of  no  response  to  him,  but  from  the  temporary 
base  acquiescence ;  wliich  is,  with  women,  a  terrific  per- 
ception of  the  gulf  of  their  unsatisfied  nature. 

The  secretary,  cheerful  at  his  work,  was  found  for 
just  the  opening  of  a  door.  Sometimes  she  hesitated 
—  to  disturb  him,  she  said  to  herself, —  and  went 
upstairs  or  out  visiting.  He  protested  that  he  could 
work  on  and  talk  too.  She  was  able  to  amuse  her  lord 
with  some  of  his  ideas.  He  had  a  stock  of  them,  all 
his  own. 

Ideas,  new-born  and  naked  original  ideas,  are  accept- 
able at  no  time  to  the  humanity*  they  visit  to  help 
uplift  it  from  the  state  of  beast.  In  the  England  of 
that  period  original  or  unknown  ideas  were  a  smoking 
brimstone  to  the  nose,  dread  Arabian  afrites,  invisible 
in  the  air,  jumping  out  of  vases,  armed  for  the  slaughter 
of  the  venerable  and  the  cherished,  the  ivy-clad  and  celes- 
tially haloed.  They  carried  the  dishevelled  Masnads' 
torch.  A  step  with  them,  and  we  were  on  the  Plilege- 
thon  waters  of  the  French  Revolution.  For  a  publica- 
tion of  simple  ideas  men  were  seized,  tried  at  law, 
mulcted,  imprisoned,  and  not  pardoned  after  the  term 
of  punishment 5  their  names  were  branded;  the  horned 


THE   SECRETARY  TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      163 

elect  butted  at  them;  he  who  breathed  them  offered 
them  up,  wittingly  or  not,  to  be  damned  in  the  nose  of 
the  public  for  an  execrable  brimstone  stench. 

Lord  Ormont  broke  through  his  shouts  or  grunts  at 
Aminta's  report  of  the  secretary's  ideas  on  various 
topics,  particularly  the  proposal  that  the  lords  of  the 
land  should  head  the  land  in  a  revolutionary  effort  to 
make  law  of  his  crazy,  top-heavy  notions,  with  a  self- 
satisfied  ejaculation:  "He  has  not  favoured  me  with  any 
of  these  puff-balls  of  his." 

The  deduction  was,  that  the  author  sagaciously  con- 
sidered them  adapted  for  the  ear  of  a  woman;  they 
were  womanish  —  i.e.,  flighty,  gossamer.  To  the  host 
of  males,  all  ideas  are  female  until  they  are  made  facts. 

This  idea,  proposing  it  to  our  aristocracy  to  take  up 
his  other  ideas,  or  reject  them  on  pain  of  the  forfeiture 
of  their  caste  and  headship  with  the  generations  to 
follow,  and  a  total  displacing  of  them  in  history  by 
certain  notorious,  frowsy,  scrubby  pamphleteers  and 
publishers.  Lord  Ormont  thought  amazingly  comical. 
English  nobles  heading  the  weavers,  cobblers,  and  bar- 
bers of  England!  He  laughed,  but  he  said,  "Charlotte 
would  listen  to  that." 

The  dread,  high-sitting  Lady  Charlotte  was,  in  his 
lofty  thinking,  a  woman,  and  would  therefore  listen  to 
nonsense,  if  it  happened  to  strike  a  particular  set  of 
bells  hanging  in  her  cranium.  She  patronised  blas- 
phemous and  traitorous  law-breakers,  just  to  keep  up 


164  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

tlie  pluck  of  the  people,  not  witli  a  notion  of  maintain- 
ing our  English  aristocracy  eminent  in  history. 

Lady  Charlotte,  however,  would  be  the  foremost  to 
swoop  down  on  the  secretary's  ideas  about  the  education 
of  women. 

On  that  subject,  Aminta  said  she  did  not  know  what 
to  think. 

Now,  if  a  man  states  the  matter  he  thinks,  and  a 
woman  does  but  listen,  whether  inclining  to  agree  or  not, 
a  perceptible  stamp  is  left  on  soft  wax.  Lord  Ormont 
told  her  so,  with  cavalier  kindness. 

She  confessed  she  "did  not  know  what  to  think," 
when  the  secretary  proposed  the  education  and  colloca- 
tion of  boys  and  girls  in  one  group,  never  separated, 
declaring  it  the  only  way  for  them  to  learn  to  know  and 
to  respect  one  another.  They  were  to  learn  together, 
play  together,  have  matches  together,  as  a  scheme  for 
stopping  the  mischief  between  them. 

"But,  my  dear  girl,  don't  you  see,  the  devilry  was 
intended  by  Xature.  Life  would  be  the  coldest  of 
dishes  without  it."  And  as  for  mixing  the  breeched 
and  petticoated  in  those  young  days  —  "I  can't  enter 
into  it,"  my  lord  considerately  said.  "All  I  can  tell 
you  is,  I  know  boys." 

Aminta  persisted  in  looking  thoughtful. 

"Things  are  bad,  as  they  are  now,"  she  said. 

"  Always  were  —  always  will  be.  They  were  intended 
to  be,  if  we  are  to  call  them  bad.  Botched  mendings 
will  only  make  them  worse." 


THE   SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      165 

"Which  side  suffers?" 

"Both;  and  both  like  it.  One  side  must  be  beaten  at 
any  game.  It's  off  and  on,  pretty  equal  —  except  in  the 
sets  where  one  side  wears  thick  boots.  Is  this  fellow 
for  starting  a  mixed  sexes  school?     Funny  mothers!" 

"  I  suppose "  Aminta  said,  and  checked  the  sup- 
position. "The  mothers  would  not  leave  their  girls 
unless  they  were  confident  .   .   .   ? " 

"There's  to  be  a  female  head  of  the  female  depart- 
ment? He  reckons  on  finding  a  woman  as  big  a  fool  as 
himself!  A  fair  bit  of  reckoning  enough.  He's  clever 
at  the  pen.  He  doesn't  bother  me  with  his  ideas ;  now 
and  then  I've  caught  a  sound  of  his  bee-buzzing." 

The  secretary  was  left  undisturbed  at  his  labours  for 
several  days. 

He  would  have  been  gladdened  by  a  brighter  look  of 
her  eyes  at  her  next  coming.  They  were  introspective 
and  beamless.  She  had  an  odd  leaning  to  the  talk  upon 
Cuper's  boys.  He  was  puzzled  b}--  what  he  might  have 
classed,  in  any  other  woman,  as  a  want  of  delicacy, 
when  she  recurred  to  incidents  which  were  red  patches 
of  the  school  time,  and  had  clearly  lost  their  glow 
for  her. 

A  letter  once  written  by  him,  in  his  early  days  at 
Cuper's,  addressed  to  J.  Masner,  containing  a  provoca- 
tion to  fight  with  any  weapons,  and  signed  "Your 
Antagonist,"  had  been  read  out  to  the  whole  school, 
under    strong    denunciation    of    the    immorality,    the 


166  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

unchristian-like  conduct  of  the  writer,  by  Mr.  Cuper; 
creating  a  sensation  that  had  travelled  to  Miss  Vincent's 
establishment,  where  some  of  the  naughtiest  of  the  girls 
had  taken  part  with  the  audacious  challenger,  dreadful 
though  the  contemplation  of  a  possible  duel  so  close  to 
them  was.  And  then  the  girls  heard  that  the  anony- 
mous "Your  Antagonist,"  on  being  cited  to  proclaim 
himself  in  public  assembly  of  schoolmates  and  masters, 
had  jumped  on  his  legs  and  into  the  name  of  —  one  who 
was  previously  thought  by  Miss  Vincent's  good  girls 
incapable  of  the  "appalling  wickedness,"  as  Mr.  Cuper 
called  it,  of  signing  "Your  Antagonist"  to  a  Christian 
schoolfellow,  having  the  design  to  provoke  a  breach  of 
the  law  of  the  land  and  shed  Christian  blood.  Mr. 
Cuper  delivered  an  impressive  sermon  from  his  desk  to 
the  standing-up  boarders  and  day  scholars  alike,  villify- 
ing  the  infidel  Greek  word  "antagonist." 

"Do  you  remember  the  offender's  name?"  the  Coun- 
tess of  Ormont  said ;  and  Weyburn  said : 

"Oh yes,  I've  not  forgotten  the  incident." 

Her  eyes,  wherein  the  dead  time  hung  just  above  the 
under  lids,  lingered,  as  with  the  wish  for  him  to  name 
the  name. 

"She  said:  "I  am  curious  to  hear  how  you  would 
treat  a  case  of  that  sort.  Would  you  preach  to  the 
boys?" 

"Ten  words  at  most.  The  right  assumption  is,  that 
both  fellows  were  to  blame.     I  fancy  the  proper  way 


THE   SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      167 

would  be  to  appeal  to  the  naughty  girls  for  their  opinion 
as  to  how  the  dispute  should  be  decided." 

"You  impose  too  much  on  them.  And  you  are  not 
speaking  seriously." 

"Pardon  me,  I  am.  I  should  throw  myself  into  the 
mind  of  a  naughty  girl  —  supposing  none  of  them  at 
hand  —  and  I  should  let  it  be  known  that  my  eyes  were 
shut  to  proceedings,  always  provided  the  weapons  were 
not  such  as  would  cause  a  shock  of  alarm  in  female 
bosoms." 

"You  would  at  your  school  allow  it  to  be  fought  out?" 

"Judging  by  the  characters  of  the  boys.  If  they 
had  heads  to  understand,  I  would  try  them  at  their 
heads.  Otherwise  they  are  the  better,  they  come  round 
quicker  to  good  blood,  at  their  age  —  I  speak  of  English 
boys  —  for  a  little  hostile  exercise  of  their  fists.  Well, 
for  one  thing,  it  teaches  them  the  value  of  sparring." 

"  I  must  imagine  I  am  not  one  of  the  naughty  sister- 
hood ;  for  I  cannot  think  I  should  ever  give  consent  to 
fighting  of  any  description,  unless  for  the  very  best  of 
reasons,"  said  the  countess. 

His  eyes  were  at  their  trick  of  the  quarter-minute's 
poising.  Her  lids  fluttered.  "  Oh,  I  don't  mean  to  say 
I  was  one  of  the  good,"  she  added. 

At  the  same  time  her  enlivened  memory  made  her 
conscious  of  a  warning,  that  she  might,  as  any  woman 
might,  so  talk  on  of  past  days  as  to  take  rather  more 
than  was  required  of  the  antidote  she  had  come  for. 


168  LOED    ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

The  antidote  was  excellent;  cooling,  fortifying;  "quite 
a  chalybeate,"  her  aunt  would  say,  and  she  was  thank- 
ful. Her  heart  rose  on  a  quiet  wave  of  the  thanks,  and 
pitched  down  to  a  depth  of  uncounted  fathoms.  Aminta 
was  unable  to  tell  herself  why. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley  had  been  announced.  On 
her  way  to  the  drawing-room  Aminta's  brain  fell  upon 
a  series  of  dots,  that  wound  along  a  track  to  the  point 
where  she  accused  herself  of  a  repented  coquetry  — 
cause  of  the  burning  letters  she  was  doomed  to  receive 
and  could  not  stop  Avithout  rousing  her  lion.  She 
dotted  backwards;  there  was  no  sign  that  she  had  been 
guilty  of  any  weakness  other  than  the  almost  —  at  least 
in  design  —  innocent  first  move,  which  had  failed  to 
touch  Lord  Ormont  in  the  smallest  degree.  Never 
failure  more  absolute! 

She  was  about  to  inquire  of  her  bosom's  oracle 
whether  she  greatly  cared  now.  For  an  answer,  her 
brain  went  dotting  along  from  Mr.  Cuper's  school,  and 
a  boy  named  Abner  there,  and  a  boy  named  Matey 
Weyburn,  Avho  protected  the  little  Jew-boy,  up  to  Mr. 
Abner  in  London,  who  recommended  him  in  due  season 
to  various  acquaintances;  among  them  to  Lady  Char- 
lotte Eglett.  Hence  the  introduction  to  Lord  Ormont. 
How  little  extraordinary  circumstances  are,  if  only  we 
trace  them  to  the  source ! 

But  if  only  it  had  appeared  marvellous,  the  throbbing 
woman  might  have  seized  on  it,  as  a  thing  fateful,  an 


THE   SECIIETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      169 

intervention  distinctly  designed  to  waken  the  best  in 
her,  which  was,  after  all,  the  strongest.  Yes,  she  could 
hope  and  pray  and  believe  it  Avas  the  strongest. 

She  was  listening  to  Isabella  Lawrence  Finchley, 
wishing  she  might  have  followed  to  some  end  the  above 
line  of  her  meditations. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  was  changed,  much  Avarmer,  pressing 
to  be  more  than  merely  friendly.  Aminta  twice  gave 
her  cheek  for  kisses.  The  secretary  liad  spoken  of  Mrs. 
Lawrence  as  having  the  look  of  a  handsome  boy;  and 
Aminta's  view  of  her  now  underwent  a  change  likewise. 
Compunction,  together  with  a  sisterly  taste  for  tlie 
boyish  fair  one  flying  her  sail  independently,  and 
gallantly  braving  the  winds,  induced  her  to  kiss  m 
return. 

"You  do  like  me  a  morsel?"  said  Mrs.  Lawrence.  "I 
fell  in  love  Avith  you  the  last  time  I  was  here.  I  came 
to  see  Mr.  Secretary  —  it's  avoAvcd;  and  I  have  been 
thinking  of  you  ever  since,  of  no  one  else.  Oh,  yes, 
for  a  man:  but  you  caught  me.  I've  been  hearing  of 
him  from  Captain  May.  They  fence  at  tliose  rooms. 
And  it's  funny,  Mr.  Morsfield  practises  there,  you  knoAv; 
and  there  was  a  time  when  the  lovely  innocent  Amy, 
Queen  of  Blondes,  held  the  seat  of  the  Queen  of  Brunes. 
Ah,  my  dear,  the  infidelity  of  men  doesn't  count.  They 
are  affected  by  the  changing  moons.  As  long  as  the 
captain  is  civil  to  him,  we  may  be  sure  beautiful  Amy 
has  not  complained.     Her  husband    is   the    pistol   she 


170  LORD   ORMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

carries  in  her  pocket,  and  she  has  fired  him  twice,  with 
effect.  Through  love  of  you  I  have  learnt  the  different 
opinion  the  world  of  the  good  has  of  her  and  of  me ;  I 
thought  we  ran  under  a  common  brand.  There  are 
gradations.  I  went  to  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of  my 
great-aunt,  good  old  great-aunt  Lady  de  Culme,  who  is 
a  power  in  the  land.  I  let  her  suppose  I  came  for 
myself,  and  she  reproached  me  with  Lord  Adder.  I 
confessed  to  him  and  ten  others.  She  is  a  dear,  she's 
ticklish,  and  at  eighty-four  she  laughed!  She  looked 
into  my  eyes  and  saw  a  field  with  never  a  man  in  it  —  just 
a  shadow  of  a  man.  She  admitted  the  ten  cancelled  the 
one,  and  exactly  named  to  me,  by  comparison  with  the 
erring  Amy,  the  sinner  I  am  and  must  be,  if  I'm  to 
live.  So,  dear,  the  end  of  it  is,"  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  put 
her  fingers  to  a  silken  amber  bow  at  Aminta's  throat, 
and  squared  it  and  flattened  it  with  dainty  precision, 
speaking  on  under  dropped  eyelids,  intent  upon  her 
work,  "  Lady  de  Culme  will  be  happy  to  welcome  you 
whenever  it  shall  suit  the  Countess  of  Ormont  to  accom- 
pany her  disreputable  friend.  But  what  can  I  do, 
dear?"  She  raised  her  lids  and  looked  beseechingly. 
"I  was  born  with  this  taste  for  the  ways  and  games  and 
style  of  men.  I  hope  I  don't  get  on  badly  with  Avomen ; 
but  if  I'm  not  allowed  to  indulge  my  natural  taste,  I 
kick  the  stable-boards  and  bite  the  manger." 

Aminta  threw  her  arms  round  her,  and  they  laughed 
their  mutual  peal. 


THE   SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      171 

Caressing  her  still,  Aminta  said:  "I  don't  know 
whether  I  embrace  a  boy." 

''That  idea  comes  from  a  man!  "  said  Mrs.  Lawrence. 

It  was  admitted.     The  secretary  was  discussed. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  remarked:  "Yes,  I  like  talking  with 
him;  he's  bright.  You  drove  him  out  of  me  the  day  I 
saw  him.  Doesn't  he  give  you  the  idea  of  a  man  who 
insists  on  capturing  you  and  lets  it  be  seen  he  doesn't 
care  two  snaps  of  a  finger?  " 

Aminta  petitioned  on  his  behalf  indifferently:  "He's 
well  bred." 

She  was  inattentive  to  Mrs.  Lawrence's  answer.  The 
allusion  of  the  Queen  of  Blondes  had  stung  her  in  the 
unacknowledged  regions  where  Avomen  discard  them- 
selves and  are  most  sensitive. 

"Decide  on  coming  soon  to  Lady  de  Culme,"  said 
Mrs.  Lawrence.     "Now  that  her  arms  are  open  to  you, 

she  would  like  to  have  you  in  them.     She  is  old . 

You  won't  be  rigorous?  no  standing  on  small  punctil- 
ios? She  would  call,  but  she  does  not  —  h'm,  it  is 
M.  le  Comte  that  she  does  not  choose  to  —  h'm.  But 
her  arms  are  open  to  the  countess.  It  ought  to  be  a 
grand  step.  You  may  be  assured  that  Lady  Charlotte 
Eglett  would  not  be  taken  into  them.  My  great-aunt 
has  a  great-aunt's  memory.  The  Ormonts  are  the  only 
explanation  —  if  it's  an  apology  —  she  can  offer  for  the 
behaviour  of  the  husband  of  the  Countess  of  Ormont. 
You  know  I  like  him.     I  can't  help  liking  a  man  who 


172  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

likes  me.  Is  that  the  way  with  a  boy,  Mr.  Secretary? 
I  must  have  another  talk  with  the  gentleman,  my  dear. 
You  are  Aminta  to  me." 

"Always  Aminta  to  you,"  was  the  reply,  tenderly 
given. 

"But  as  for  comprehending  him,  I'm  as  far  off  that 
as  Lady  de  Culme,  who  hasn't  the  liking  for  him  I  have." 

"The  earl?"  said  Aminta,  showing  by  her  look  that 
she  was  in  the  same  position. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  shrugged :  "  I  believe  men  and  women 
marry  in  order  that  they  should  never  be  able  to  under- 
stand one  another.  The  riddle's  best  read  at  a  moder- 
ate distance.  It's  what  they  call  the  golden  mean;  too 
close,  too  far,  we're  strangers.  I  begin  to  understand 
that  husband  of  mine,  now  we're  on  bowing  terms. 
Now,  I  must  meet  tlie  earl  to-morrow.  You  will 
arrange?  His  hand  wants  forcing.  Upon  my  word,  I 
don't  believe  it's  more." 

Mrs.  Lawrence  contrasted  him  in  her  mind  with  the 
husband  she  knew,  and  was  invigorated  by  the  thought 
that  a  placable  impenetrable  giant  may  often  be  more 
pliable  in  a  woman's  hands  than  an  irascible  dwarf  — 
until,  perchance  the  latter  has  been  soundly  cuffed,  and 
then  he  is  docile  to  trot  like  a  squire,  as  near  your 
heels  as  he  can  get.  Slie  rejoiced  to  be  working  for 
the  woman  she  had  fallen  in  love  with. 

Aminta  promised  herself  to  show  the  friend  a  livelier 
affection  at  their  next  meeting. 


THE    SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      173 

A  seventh  letter,  signed  "  Adolphus,"  came  by  post, 
was  read  and  locked  up  in  her  jewel-box.  They  were 
all  nigh  destruction  for  a  wavering  minute  or  so.  They 
were  placed  where  they  lay  because  the  first  of  them  had 
been  laid  there,  the  box  being  a  strong  one,  under  a 
patent  key,  and  discovery  would  mean  the  terrible. 
They  had  not  been  destroyed  because  they  had,  or 
seemed  to  her  to  have,  the  language  of  passion.  She 
could  read  them  unmoved,  and  appease  a  wicked  crav- 
ing |she  owned  to  having,  and  reproached  herself  with 
having,  for  that  language. 

Was  she  not  colour  the  sight  of  men?  Here  was 
one,  a  mouthpiece  of  numbers,  who  vowed  that  homage 
was  her  due,  and  devotion,  the  pouring  forth  of  the  soul 
to  her.  What  was  the  reproach  if  she  read  the  stuff 
unmoved? 

But  peruse  and  reperuse  it,  and  ask  impressions  to 
tell  our  deepest  instinct  of  truthfulness  whether  lan- 
guage of  this  character  can  have  been  written  to  two 
women  by  one  hand!  Men  are  cunning.  Can  they 
catch  a  tone?    Not  that  tone! 

She,  too,  Mrs.  Amy  May,  was  colour  in  the  sight 
of  men.  Yet  it  seemed  that  he  could  not  have  writ- 
ten so  to  the  Queen  of  Blondes.  And  she,  by  repute, 
was  as  dangerous  to  slight  as  he  to  attract.  Her  indif- 
ference exonerated  him.  Besides,  a  Queen  of  Blondes 
woiild  not  draw  the  hearts  out  of  men  in  England,  as 
in  Italy  and  in  Spain.     Aminta  had  got  thus  far  when 


174  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

she  found  "  Queen  of  Brunes  "  expunged  by  a  mist :  she 
imagined  hearing  the  secretary's  laugh.  She  thought 
he  was  right  to  laugh  at  her.  She  retorted  simply: 
"These  are  feelings  that  are  poetry." 

A  man  may  know  nothing  about  them,  and  be  an 
excellent  schoolmaster. 

Suggestions  touching  the  prudence  of  taking  Mrs. 
Lawrence  into  her  confidence,  as  regarded  these  trouble- 
some letters  of  the  man  with  the  dart  in  his  breast,  were 
shuffled  aside  for  various  reasons:  her  modesty  shrank; 
and  a  sense  of  honour  toward  the  man  forbade  it.  She 
would  have  found  it  easier  to  do  if  she  had  conspired 
against  her  heart  in  doing  it.  And  yet,  cold-bloodedly 
to  expose  him  and  pluck  the  clothing  from  a  passion 
—  dear  to  think  of  only  when  it  is  profoundly  secret  — 
struck  her  as  an  extreme  baseness,  of  which  not  even 
the  woman  who  perused  and  reperused  his  letters  could 
be  guilty. 

Her  head  rang  with  some  of  the  lines,  and  she  accused 
her  head  of  the  crime  of  childishness,  seeing  that  her 
heart  was  not  an  accomplice.  At  the  same  time,  her 
heart  cried  out  violently  against  the  business  of  a  visit 
to  Lady  de  Culme,  and  all  the  steps  it  involved.  Justly 
she  accused  her  heart  of  treason.  Heart  and  head  were 
severed.  This,  as  she  partly  apprehended,  is  the  state 
of  the  woman  who  is  already  on  the  slope  of  her  na- 
ture's mine-shaft,  dreading  the  rush  downwards,  power- 
less to  break  away  from  the  light. 


THE   SECRETARY   TAKEN   AS   AN   ANTIDOTE      175 

Letters  perused  and  reperused,  coming  from  a  man 
never  fervently  noticed  in  person,  conjure  features  one 
would  wish  to  put  beside  the  actual,  to  make  sure  that 
the  fiery  lines  he  writes  are  not  practising  a  beguile- 
ment.  Aminta  had  lost  grasp  of  the  semblance  of  the 
impassioned  man.  She  just  remembered  enough  of  his 
eyes  to  think  there  might  be  healing  in  a  sight  of  him. 

Latterly  she  had  refused  to  be  exhibited  to  a  tattling 
world  as  the  great  nobleman's  conquest:  —  The  Beautiful 
Lady  Doubtful  of  a  report  that  had  scorched  her  ears. 
Theatres,  rides,  pleasure-drives,  even  such  houses  a.s 
she  saw  standing  open  to  her  had  been  shunned.  Now 
she  asked  the  earl  to  ride  in  the  park. 

He  complied,  and  sent  to  the  stables  immediately, 
just  noted  another  of  her  veerings.  The  whimsy  creat- 
ures we  are  matched  to  contrast  with  shift  as  the  very 
winds  or  feather  grasses  in  the  wind.  Possibly  a  fine 
day  did  it.    Possibly,  too,  her  not  being  requested  to  do  it. 

He  was  proud  of  her  bearing  on  horseback.  She  rode 
well  and  looked  well.  A  finer  weapon  wherewith  to 
strike  at  a  churlish  world  was  never  given  into  the 
hands  of  man.  These  English  may  see  in  her,  if  they 
like,  that  they  and  their  laws  and  customs  are  defied. 
It  does  her  no  hurt,  and  it  hits  them  a  ringing  buffet. 

Among  the  cavaliers  they  passed  was  Mr.  Morsfield. 
He  rode  by  slowly.  The  earl  stiffened  his  back  in  re- 
turning the  salute.  Both  that  and  the  gentleman  were 
observed  by  Aminta. 


176  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  He  sees  to  having  good  blood  under  him,"  said  the  earl. 

"I  admired  his  mount,"  she  replied. 

Interpreted  by  the  fire  of  his  writing,  his  features 
expressed  character :  insomuch  that  a  woman  could  say 
of  another  woman,  that  she  admired  him  and  might 
reasonably  do  so.  His  gaze  at  her  in  the  presence  of 
her  lord  was  audacious. 

He  had  the  defect  of  his  virtue  of  courage.  Yet  a 
man  indisputably  possessing  courage  cannot  but  have  an 
interesting  face  —  though  one  may  continue  saying,  pity 
that  the  eyes  are  not  a  little  wider  apart!  He  dresses 
tastefully;  the  best  English  style.  A  portrait  by  a 
master  hand  might  hand  him  down  to  generations  as 
an  ancestor  to  be  proud  of.  But  with  passion  and  with 
courage,  and  a  bent  for  snatching  at  the  lion's  own, 
does  he  not  look  foredoomed  to  an  early  close?  Her 
imagination  called  up  a  portrait  of  Elizabeth's  Earl  of 
Essex  to  set  beside  him ;  and  without  thinking  that  the 
two  were  fraternally  alike,  she  sent  him  riding  away 
with  the  face  of  the  Earl  of  Essex  and  the  shadow  of  the 
unhappy  nobleman's  grievous  fortunes  over  his  head. 

But  it  is  inexcusable  to  let  the  mind  be  occupied 
recurrently  by  a  man  who  has  not  moved  the  feel- 
ings, wicked  though  it  be  to  have  the  feelings  moved 
by  him.  Aminta  rebuked  her  silly  wits,  and  proceeded 
to  speculate  from  an  altitude,  seeing  the  man's  projects 
in  a  singularly  definite  minuteness,  as  if  the  crisis  he 
invoked,  the  perils  he  braved,  the  mute  participation 


MOKE   OP   CUPER's    BOYS  177 

lie  implored  of  her  for  the  short  space  until  their  fate 
should  be  decided,  were  a  story  sharply  cut  on  metal. 
Several  times  she  surprised  herself  in  an  interesting 
pursuit  of  the  story;  abominably  cold,  abominably  in- 
terested. She  fell  upon  a  review  of  small  duties  of 
the  day,  to  get  relief;  and  among  them  a  device  for 
spiriting  away  her  aunt  from  the  table  where  Mrs. 
Lawrence  wished  to  meet  Lord  Ormont.  It  sprang  up 
to  her  call  like  an  imp  of  the  burning  pit.  She  saw 
it  ingenious  and  of  natural  aspect.  I  must  be  a  born 
intriguer!  she  said  in  her  breast.  That  was  hateful; 
but  it  seemed  worse  when  she  thought  of  a  woman 
commanding  the  faculty  and  consenting  to  be  duped 
and  foiled.  That  might  be  termed  despicable;  but 
what  if  she  had  not  any  longer  the  wish  to  gain  her 
way  with  her  lord? 

Those  letters  are  acting  like  a  kind  of  poison  in 
me!  her  heart  cried:  and  it  was  only  her  head  that 
dwelt  on  the  antidote. 


CHAPTER  XII 

MORE    OP    CUPER's    BOYS 


Entering  the  dining-room  at  the  appointed  minute 
in  a  punctual  household,  Mrs.  Lawrence  informed  the 
company  that   she   had   seen   a  Horse   Guards   orderly 


178  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

at  the  trot  up  the  street.  Weyburn  said  he  was  direct- 
ing a  boy  to  ring  the  bell  of  the  house  for  him.  Lord 
Ormont  went  to  the  window. 

"Amends  and  honours?"  Mrs.  Lawrence  hummed; 
and  added  an  operatic  flourish  of  an  arm.  Something 
like  it  might  really  be  imagined.  A  large  square  missive 
was  handed  to  the  footman.  Thereupon  the  orderly 
trotted  olf. 

My  lord  took  seat  at  table,  telling  the  footman  to  lay 
''  that  parcel "  beside  the  clock  on  the  mantelpiece. 
Aminta  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  gave  out  a  little  cry  of 
bird  or  mouse,  pitiable  to  hear:  they  could  not  wait, 
they  must  know,  they  pished  at  sight  of  plates.  His 
look  deferred  to  their  good  pleasure,  like  the  dead  hand 
of  a  clock  under  key ;  and  Weyburn  placed  the  missive 
before  liim,  seeing  by  the  superscription  that  it  was  not 
official. 

It  was  addressed,  in  the  Roman  hand  of  a  boy's  copy- 
book writing,  to 

"  General  the  Earl  of  Ormont,  K.C.B.,  etcetera, 
^^  Horse  Guards, 

"London." 

The  Earl's  eyebrows  creased  up  over  the  address; 
they  came  down  low  on  the  contents. 

He  resumed  his  daily  countenance.  "  Nothing  of  im- 
portance," he  said  to  the  ladies. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  knocked  the  table  with  her  knuckles. 


MORE   OF   CUPER's   BOYS  179 

Aminta  put  out  a  hand,  in  sign  of  lier  wish.  "Pray 
let  me  see  it." 

"  After  lunch  will  do." 

"  No,  no,  no  !  We  are  women  —  we  are  women,"  cried 
Mrs.  Lawrence. 

"  How  can  it  concern  women  ?  " 

"  As  well  ask  how  a  battle-held  concerns  them ! " 

"  Yes,  the  shots  hit  us  behind  you,"  said  Aminta ;  and 
she,  too,  struck  the  table. 

He  did  not  prolong  their  torture.  Weyburn  received 
the  folio  sheet  and  passed  it  on.  Aminta  read.  Mrs. 
Lawrence  jumped  from  her  chair  and  ran  to  the  count- 
ess's shoulder;  her  red  lips  formed  the  petitioning 
word  to  the  Earl  for  the  liberty  she  was  bent  to 
take. 

"  Peep  ?  if  you  like,"  my  lord  said,  jesting  at  the 
blank  she  would  find,  and  soft  to  the  pretty  play  of  her 
moiith. 

When  the  ladies  had  run  to  the  end  of  it,  he  asked 
them :  "  Well ;  now,  then  ?  " 

"But  it's  capital! — the  dear  laddies!"  Mrs.  Law- 
rence exclaimed. 

Aminta's  eyes  met  Weyburn's. 

She  handed  him  the  sheet  of  paper ;  upon  the  trans- 
mission of  which  empty  thing  from  the  Horse  Guards 
my  lord  commented :  "  An  orderly  !  " 

Weyburn  scanned  it  rapidly,  for  the  table  had  been 
served. 


180  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

The  contents  were  these :  — 

"High  Brent,  near  Attswell, 
"April  1th. 
"  To  General  the  Earl  of  Ormoxt. 
"  Cavalry. 

"May  it  please  your  Lordship,  we,  the  boys  of  Mr. 
Cuper's  school,  are  desirous  to  bring  to  the  notice  of 
the  bravest  officer  England  possesses  now  living,  a  Deed 
of  Heroism  by  a  little  boy  and  girl,  children  of  our 
school  laundress,  aged  respectively  eight  and  six,  who, 
seeing  a  little  fellow  in  the  water  out  of  depth,  and 
sinking  twice,  before  the  third  time  jumped  in  to  save 
him,  though  unable  to  swim  themselves ;  the  girl  aged 
six  first,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  but  the  brother,  Robert 
Coop,  followed  her  example,  and,  together  they  made 
a  line,  and  she  caught  hold  of  the  drowning  boy,  and 
he  held  her  petycoats,  and  so  they  pulled.  We  have 
seen  the  place :  it  is  not  a  nice  one.  They  got  him 
ashore  at  last.  The  parkkeeper  here  going  along  found 
them  dripping,  rubbing  his  hands,  and  blowing  into  his 
nostrils.  Name,  T.  Shellen,  son  of  a  small  cobbler  here, 
and  recovered. 

"  May  it  please  your  Lordship,  we  make  bold  to  apply, 
because  you  have  been  for  a  number  of  years,  as  far  as 
the  oldest  can  recollect,  the  Hero  of  our  school,  and 
we  are  so  bold  as  to  ask  the  favour  of  General  Lord 
Ormont's  name  to  head  a  subscription  we  are  making  to 
circulate  for  the  support  of  their  sick  mother  who  has 


MORE   OF   CUPER's   BOYS  181 

fallen  ill.  We  think  her  a  good  woman.  Gentlemen 
and  ladies  of  the  neighbourhood  are  willing  to  subscribe. 
If  we  have  a  great  name  to  head  the  list,  we  think  we 
shall  make  a  good  subscription.     Names  :  — 

"  Martha  Mary  Coop,  mother. 

"  Robert  Coop. 

"Jane  Coop,  the  girl,  aged  six. 

"  If  we  are  not  taking  too  great  a  liberty,  a  subscrip- 
tion paper  will  follow.  We  are  sure  General  the  Earl 
of  Ormont's  name  will  help  to  make  them  comfortable, 

"  We  are  obediently  and  respectfully, 

"David  Gowen. 
"Walter  Bench. 
"James  Fanners  Parsons. 
"And  seven  others." 

Weyburn  spared  Aminta  an  answering  look,  that 
would  have  been  a  begging  of  Browny  to  remember 
Matey. 

"  It's  genuine,"  he  said  to  Mrs.  Lawrence,  as  he  at- 
tacked his  plate  with  the  gusto  for  the  repast  previously 
and  benignly  observed  by  her.  "It  ought  to  be  the 
work  of  some  of  the  younger  fellows." 

"  They  spell  correctly,  on  the  whole." 

"Excepting,"  said  my  lord,  "an  article  they  don't 
know  much  about  yet." 

Weyburn  had  noticed  the  word,  and  he  smiled.     "  Said 


182  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS    AMINTA 

to  be  the  happy  state !  The  three  signing  their  names 
are  probably  what  we  called  bellman  and  beemen,  col- 
lector, and  heads  of  the  swarm  —  enthusiasts.  If  it  is 
not  the  work  of  some  of  the  younger  hands,  the  school 
has  levelled  on  minors.  In  any  case,  it  shows  the  school 
is  healthy." 

"I  subscribe,"  said  Mrs.  Lawrence. 

"The  little  girl  aged  six  shall  have  something  done 
for  her,"  said  Aminta,  and  turned  her  eyes  on  the  Earl. 

He  was  familiar  with  her  thrilled  voice  at  a  story  of 
bravery.     He  said : 

"  The  boys  don't  say  the  girl's  brother  turned  tail." 

"  Only  that  the  girl's  brother  aged  eight  followed  the 
lead  of  the  little  girl  aged  six,"  Mrs.  Lawrence  re- 
marked. "  Well,  I  like  the  schoolboys,  too  — '  we  are 
sorry  to  say!'  But  they're  good  lads.  Boys  who  can 
appreciate  brave  deeds  are  capable  of  doing  them." 

"  Speak  to  me  about  it  on  Monday,"  the  Earl  said  to 
Weyburn. 

He  bowed,  and  replied : 

"I  shall  have  the  day  to-morrow.  I'll  walk  it  and 
call  on  Messrs.  (he  glanced  at  the  paper)  Gowen,  Bench, 
and  Parsons.  I  have  a  German  friend  in  London 
anxious  to  wear  his  legs  down  stumpier." 

"  The  name  of  the  school  ?  " 

"  It  is  called  Cuper's." 

Aminta,  on  hearing  the  name  of  Cuper  a  second  time, 
congratulated   herself  on   the   happy  invention   of  her 


MORE   OF    CUPER'S   BOYS  183 

pretext  to  keep  Mrs.  Pagnell  from  the  table  at  midday. 
Her  aunt  had  a  memory  for  names :  what  might  she  not 
have  exclaimed !  There  would  have  been  little  in  it,  but 
it  was  as  well  that  the  "  boy  of  the  name  of  Weyburn  " 
at  Cuper's  should  be  unmentioned.  By  an  exaggeration 
peculiar  to  a  disgust  in  fancy,  she  could  hear  her  aunt 
vociferating  ''  Weyburn ! "  and  then  staring  at  Mr.  Wey- 
burn opposite  —  perhaps  not  satisfied  with  staring. 

He  withdrew  after  his  usual  hearty  meal,  during 
which  his  talk  of  boys  and  their  monkey  tricks,  and 
what  we  can  train  them  to,  had  been  pleasant  generally, 
especially  to  Mrs.  Lawrence.  Aminta  was  carried  back 
to  the  minute  early  years  at  High  Brent.  A  line  or  two 
of  a  smile  touched  her  cheek. 

"Yes,  my  dear  Countess,  that  is  the  face  I  want  for 
Lady  de  Culme  to-day,"  said  Mrs.  Lawrence.  "She 
likes  a  smiling  face.  Aunty-aunty  has  always  been 
good;  she  has  never  been  prim.  I  was  too  much  for 
her,  until  I  reflected  that  she  was  very  old,  and  deserved 
to  know  the  truth  before  she  left  us ;  and  so  I  went 
to  her;  and  then  she  said  she  wished  to  see  Aminta, 
Countess  of  Ormont,  because  of  her  being  my  dearest 
friend.  I  fancy  she  entertains  an  arrih'e  idea  of  propos- 
ing her  flawless  niece  Gracey,  Marchioness  of  Fencaster, 
to  present  you.  She's  quite  equal  to  the  fatigue  herself. 
You'll  rejoice  in  her  anecdotes.  People  were  virtuous 
in  past  days :  they  counted  their  sinners.  In  those 
days,  too,  as  I  have  to  understand,  the  men  chivalrously 


184  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS  AMINTA 

bore  the  blame,  though  the  women  were  rightly  pun- 
ished. Now,  alas!  the  initiative  is  with  the  women, 
and  men  are  not  asked  for  chivalry.  Hence  it  lan- 
guishes. Lady  de  Culme  won't  hear  of  the  Queen  of 
Blondes ;  has  forbidden  her  these  many  years  !  " 

Lord  Ormont,  to  whom  the  lady's  prattle  was  ad- 
dressed, kept  his  visage  moveless,  except  in  slight  jerks 
of  the  brows. 

"What  queen?" 

"You  insist  upon  renewing  my  old,  old  pangs  of 
jealousy,  my  dear  lord!  The  Queen  of  Cyprus,  they 
called  her,  in  the  last  generation;  she  fights  our  great 
duellist  handsomely." 

"My  dear  Mrs.  Lawrence!" 

"He  triumphs  finally,  we  know,  but  she  beats  him 
every  round." 

"  It's  only  tattle  that  says  the  duel  has  begun." 

"May  is  the  month  of  everlasting  beauty!  There's  a 
widower  marquis  now  who  claims  the  right  to  cast  the 
glove  to  any  Avho  dispute  it." 

"Mrs.  May  is  too  good-looking  to  escape  from  scan- 
dal." 

"  Amy  May  has  the  good  looks  of  the  Immortals." 

"  She  can't  be  thirty." 

"  In  the  calendar  of  women  she  counts  thirty-four." 

"  Malignity  !     Her  husband's  a  lucky  man." 

"  The  shots  have  proved  it." 

Lord  Ormont  nodded  his  head  over  the  hopeless  task 


MORE   OF   CUPER's   BOYS  185 

of  defending  a  woman  from  a  woman,  and  their  sharp 
interchange  ceased.  But  the  sight  of  his  complacency 
in  defeat  told  Aminta  that  he  did  not  respect  his  fair 
client:  it  drew  a  sketch  of  the  position  he  allotted  his 
wife  before  the  world  side  by  side  with  this  Mrs.  Amy 
May,  though  a  Lady  de  Culme  was  persuaded  to  draw 
distinctions. 

He  had,  however,  quite  complacently  taken  the  dose 
intended  for  him  by  Mrs.  Lawrence,  who  believed  that 
the  system  of  gently  forcing  him  was  the  good  one. 

The  ladies  drove  away  in  the  afternoon.  The  Earl 
turned  his  back  on  manuscript.  He  sent  for  a  couple 
of  walking-sticks,  and  commanded  Weyburn  to  go 
through  his  parades.  He, was  no  tyro,  merely  out  of 
practice,  and  unacquainted  with  the  later,  simpler  form 
of  the  great  master  of  the  French  school,  by  which,  at 
serious  issues,  the  guarding  of  the  line  can  be  more 
quickly  done :  as,  for  instance,  the  parade  de  septime 
supplanting  the  slo^y ev  jmrade  de  prime;  the  parade  de 
quarte  having  advantage  over  the  parade  de  quinte;  the 
parade  de  tierce  being  readier  and  stronger  than  the 
parade  de  sixte ;  the  same  said  for  the  parade  de  seconde 
instead  of  the  weak  parade  d'' octave. 

These  were  then  new  points  of  instruction.  Weyburn 
demonstrated  them  as  neatly  as  he  could  do  with  his 
weapon. 

"Yes,  the  French  think,"  Lord  Ormont  said,  grasping 
the  stick  to  get  conviction  of  thumb-strength  and  iinger- 


186  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

strength  from  the  parades  advocated,  "  their  steel  would 
thread  the  ribs  of  our  louts  before  they  could  raise  a  cry 
of  parry;  so  here  they're  i)leased  to  sneer  at  fencing,  as 
if  it  served  no  purpose  but  the  duel.  Fencing,  for  one 
thing,  means  that,  with  a  good  stick  in  his  hand,  a  clever 
fencer  can  double  up  a  giant  or  two,  grant  him  choice  of 
ground.  Some  of  our  men  box;  but  the  sword's  the 
weapon  for  an  officer,  and  precious  few  of  'em  are  fit  for 
more  than  to  kick  the  scabbard.  Slashing  comes  easier 
to  them :  a  plaguey  cut,  if  it  does  cut  —  say,  one  in  six. 
Navy  too.  Their  cutlass-drill  is  like  a  woman's  fling  of 
the  arm  to  fetch  a  slap  from  behind  her  shoulder.  Pink- 
ing beats  chopping.  These  English  '11  have  their  lesson. 
It's  like  what  you  call  good  writing:  the  simple  way 
does  the  business,  and  that's  the  most  difficult  to  learn, 
because  you  must  give  your  head  to  it,  as  those  French 
fellows  do.  Trop  de  finesse  is  rather  their  fault.  Any- 
thing's  better  than  loutishness.  Well !  the  lesson  '11 
come." 

He  continued.  He  spoke  as  he  thought :  he  was  not 
speaking  what  he  was  thinking.  His  mind  was  directed 
on  the  visit  of  Aniinta  to  Lady  de  Culme,  and  the  toler- 
ably wonderful  twist  whereby  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley 
had  vowed  herself  to  his  girl's  interests.  And  he  blamed 
neither  of  them ;  only  he  could  not  understand  how  it 
had  been  effected,  for  Aminta  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  had 
not  been  on  such  particularly  intimate  terms  last  week 
or  yesterday.     His  ejaculation,  "AVomen!"  was,  as  he 


MORE   OF   CUPER's   BOYS  187 

knew,  merely  ignorance  roaring  behind  a  mask  of  sar- 
casm. But  it  allied  him  with  all  previous  generations 
on  the  male  side,  and  that  was  its  virtue.  His  view  of 
the  shifty  turns  of  women  got  no  farther,  for  the  reason 
that  he  took  small  account  of  the  operations  of  the  feel- 
ings, to  the  sole  exercise  of  which  he  by  system  con- 
demned the  sex. 

He  was  also  insensibly  half  a  grain  more  soured  by 
the  homage  of  those  poor  schoolboys,  who  called  to  him 
to  take  it  for  his  reward  in  a  country  whose  authorities 
had  snubbed,  whose  Parliament  had  ignored,  whose  Press 
had  abused  him.  The  ridiculous  balance  made  him  wil- 
fully oblivious  that  he  had  seen  his  name  of  late  eulo- 
gised in  articles  and  in  books  for  the  right  martial 
qualities.  Can  a  country  treating  a  good  soldier — not 
serving  it  for  pay  —  in  so  scurvy  a  fashion,  be  struck 
too  hard  with  our  disdain  ?  One  cannot  tell  it  in  too 
plain  a  language  how  one  despises  its  laws,  its  moralities, 
its  sham  of  society.  The  club,  some  choice  auecdotists, 
two  or  three  listeners  to  his  dolences  clothed  as  dia- 
tribes ;  a  rubber,  and  the  sight  of  his  girl  at  -home,  com- 
posed, with  a  week's  shooting  now  and  then,  his  round 
of  life  now  that  she  refused  to  travel.  What  a  life  for 
a  soldier  in  his  vigour ! 

Weyburn  was  honoured  by  the  Earl's  company  on  the 
walk  to  Chiallo's.  In  the  street  of  elegant  shops  they 
met  Lord  Adderwood,  and  he,  as  usual,  appeared  in  the 
act  of  strangling  one  of  his  flock  of  yawns,  with  gentle- 


188  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

manly  consideration  for  the  public.  Exercise  was  ever 
his  temporary  specific  for  these  incurables.  Flinging  off 
his  coat,  he  cast  away  the  cynic  style  engendering  or  en- 
gendered by  them.  He  and  Weyburn  were  for  a  bout. 
Sir  John  Kandeller  and  Mr.  Morsfield  were  at  it,  like 
Bull  in  training  and  desperado  foiled.  A  French  maitre 
d' amies  standing  near  Captain  Chiallo,  looked  amused  in 
the  eyes,  behind  a  mask  of  professional  correctness.  He 
had  come  on  an  excursion  for  the  display  of  his  art.  Sir 
John's  very  sturdy  defence  was  pierced.  Weyburn  sa- 
luted the  Frenchman  as  an  acquaintance,  and  they  shook 
hands,  chatted,  criticised,  nodded.  Presently  he  and  his 
adversary  engaged,  vizored  and  in  their  buckram,  and  he 
soon  proved  too  strong  for  Adderwood,  as  the  latter  ex- 
pected and  had  notified  to  Lord  Ormont  before  they 
crossed  the  steel.  My  lord  had  a  pleasant  pricking 
excitement  in  the  sound.  There  was  a  pretty  display 
between  Weyburn  and  the  maitre  d'armes,  who  neatly 
and  kindly  trifled,  took  a  point  and  returned  one,  and  at 
the  finish  complimented  him.  The  Earl  could  see  that 
he  had  to  be  sufficiently  alert. 

Age  mouthed  an  ugly  word  to  the  veteran  insensible 
of  it  in  his  body,  when  a  desire  to  be  one  with  these 
pairs  of  nimble  wrists  and  legs  was  like  an  old  gamecock 
shown  the  pit  and  put  back  into  the  basket.  He  left  the 
place,  carrying  away  an  image  of  the  coxcombical  atti- 
tudinising of  the  man  Morsfield  at  the  salut,  upon  which 
he  brought  down  his  powers  of  burlesque. 


MOKE  OF  CUPER's   BOYS  189 

My  lord  sketched  the  scene  he  had  just  quitted  to  a 
lady  who  had  stopped  her  carriage.  She  was  the  still 
beautiful  Mrs.  Amy  May,  wife  of  the  famous  fighting 
captain.  Her  hair  was  radiant  in  a  shady  street;  her 
eyelids  tenderly  toned  round  the  almond  enclosure  of 
blue  pebbles,  bright  as  if  shining  from  the  seawash. 
The  lips  of  the  fair  woman  could  be  seen  to  say  that 
they  were  sweet  when,  laughing  or  discoursing,  they 
gave  sight  of  teeth  proudly  her  own,  rivalling  the  regu- 
larity of  the  grin  of  dentistry.  A  Venus  of  nature  was 
melting  into  a  Venus  of  art,  and  there  was  a  decorous 
concealment  of  the  contest  and  the  anguish  in  the  proc- 
ess, for  which  Lord  Ormont  liked  her  well  eno'ugh  to 
wink  benevolently  at  her  efforts  to  cheat  the  world  at 
various  issues,  and  maintain  her  duel  with  Time,  The 
world  deserved  that  she  should  beat  it,  even  if  she  had 
been  all  deception. 

She  let  the  subject  of  Mr.  Morsfield  pass  without 
remark  from  her,  until  the  exhaustion  of  open-air  topics 
hinted  an  end  of  their  conversation,  as  she  said  : 

"We  shall  learn  next  week  what  to  think  of  the 
civilians.  I  have  heard  Mr.  Morsfield  tell  that  he  is 
de  premih'e  force.  Be  on  your  guard.  You  are  to  know 
that  I  never  forget  a  service,  and  you  did  me  one  once." 

"You  have  reason  .  .  .  ?"  said  the  Earl. 

"  If  anybody  is  the  dragon  to  the  treasure  he  covets 
he  is  a  spadassin  who  won't  hesitate  at  provocations. 
Adieu." 


190  LORD   ORMONT  AND  HIS   AMINTA 

Lord  Ormont's  eye  had  been  on  Mr.  Morsfield.  He 
had  seen  what  Mrs.  Pagnell  counselled  her  niece  to  let 
him  see.  He  thanked  Mr.  Morsfield  for  a  tonic  that 
made  him  young  with  anticipations  of  bracing ;  and  he 
set  his  head  to  work  upon  an  advance  halfway  to  meet 
the  gentleman,  and  safely  exclude  his  wife's  name. 

Monday  brought  an  account  of  Cuper's  boys.  Aminta 
received  it  while  the  Earl  was  at  his  papers  for  the 
morning's  news  of  the  weightier  deeds  of  men. 

They  were  the  right  boys,  Weyburn  said;  his  inter- 
view with  Gowen,  Bench,  Parsons,  and  the  others 
assured  him  that  the  school  was  breathing  big  lungs. 
Mr.  Cuper,  too,  had  spoken  well  of  them. 

"  You  walked  the  twenty  miles  ?  "  Aminta  interrupted 
him. 

"  With  my  German  friend :  out  and  home ;  plenty  of 
time  in  the  day.  He  has  taken  to  English  boys,  but 
asks  why  enthusiasm  and  worship  of  great  deeds  don't 
grow  upward  from  them  to  their  elders.  And  I,  in  turn, 
ask  why  Germans  insist  on  that  point  more  even  than 
the  French  do." 

"Germans  are  sentimental.  But  the  English  boys 
he  saw  belonged  to  a  school  with  traditions  of  enthusiasm 
sown  by  some  one.     The  school  remembered  ?  " 

"  Curiously,  Mr.  Cuper  tells  me,  the  hero  of  the  school 
has  dropped  and  sprung  up,  stout  as  ever,  twice  —  it 
tells  me  what  I  wish  to  believe  —  since  Lord  Ormont 
led  their  young  heads  to  glory.     He  can't  say  how  it 


MORE   OF  CUPER's   BOYS  191 

comes.  The  tradition's  there,  aud  it's  kindled  by  some 
flying  spark." 

"They  remember  who  taught  the  school  to  think  of 
Lord  Ormont  ?  " 

"  I'm  a  minor  personage.  I  certainly  did  some  good, 
and  that's  a  push  forward." 

"  They  speak  of  you  ?  " 

It  was  Aminta  more  than  the  Countess  of  Ormont 
speaking  to  him. 

"  You  take  an  interest  in  the  boys  ? "  he  said,  glow- 
ing. "  Yes,  well,  they  have  their  talks.  I  happened  to 
be  a  cricketer,  counting  wickets  and  scores.  I  don't 
fancy  it's  remembered  that  it  was  I  preached  my  lord. 
A  day  of  nine  wickets  and  one  catch  doesn't  die  out  of 
a  school.  The  boy  Gowen  was  the  prime  spirit  in 
getting  up  the  subscription  for  the  laundress.  But 
Bench  and  Parsons  are  good  boys  too." 

He  described  them,  dwelt  on  them.  The  enthusiast, 
when  not  lyrical,  is  perilously  near  to  boring.  Aminta 
was  glad  of  Mrs.  Lawrence's  absence.  She  had  that 
feeling  because  Matthew  Weyburn  would  shun  talk  of 
himself  to  her,  not  from  a  personal  sense  of  tedium  in 
hearing  of  the  boys  ;  and  she  was  quaintly  reminded  by 
suggestions,  coming  she  knew  not  whence,  of  a  dim  like- 
ness between  her  and  these  boys  of  the  school  when  their 
hero  dropped  to  nothing  and  sprang  up  again  brilliantly 
— a  kind  of  distant  cousinship,  in  her  susceptibility  to 
be  kindled  by  so  small  a  flying  spark  as  this  one  on  its 


192  LORD   ORMONT  AND  HIS   AMINTA 

travels  out  of  High  Brent.  Moreover,  the  dear  boys 
tied  her  to  her  girlhood,  and  netted  her  fleeting  youth 
for  the  moth-box.  She  pressed  to  hear  more  and  more 
of  them,  and  of  the  school-laundress  Weyburn  had  called 
to  see,  and  particularly  of  the  child,  little  Jane,  aged 
six.  Weyburn  went  to  look  at  the  sheet  of  water  to 
which  little  Jane  had  given  celebrity  over  the  county. 
The  girl  stood  up  to  her  shoulders  when  she  slid  off  the 
bank  and  made  the  line  for  her  brother  to  hold,  he  in  the 
water  as  well.  Altogether,  Cuper's  boys  were  justified 
in  promoting  a  subscription,  the  mother  being  helpless. 

"  Modest  little  woman,"  he  said  of  Jane.  "  We'll 
hope  people  won't  spoil  her.  Don't  forget,  Lady  Or- 
mont,  that  the  brother  did  his  part ;  he  had  more  knowl- 
edge of  the  danger  than  she." 

"You  will  undertake  to  convey  our  subscriptions? 
Lord  Ormont  spoke  of  the  little  ones  and  the  schoolboys 
yesterday." 

"I'll  be  down  again  among  them  next  Sunday,  Lady 
Ormont.     On  the  Monday  I  go  to  Olmer." 

"  The  girls  of  High  Brent  subscribed  ?  " 

There  was  a  ripple  under  Weyburn's  gravity. 

"Messrs.  Gowen,  Bench,  and  Parsons  thought  proper 
to  stop  Miss  Vincent  at  the  head  of  her  detachment  in 
the  park." 

"On  the  Sunday?" 

"And  one  of  them  handed  her  a  paper  containing  a 
report   of   their  interview  with  Mrs.  Coop  and  a  neat 


MORE  OF   CUPER'S   BOYS  193 

eulogy  of  little  Jane.  But  don't  suspect  them,  I  beg. 
I  believe  them  to  be  good,  honest  fellows.  Bench,  they 
say,  is  religious;  Gowen  has  written  verses;  Parsons 
generally  harum-scarum.  They're  boyish  in  one  way  or 
another,  and  that'll  do.  The  cricket  of  the  school  has 
been  low :  seems  to  be  reviving. " 

"  Mr.  Weyburn,"  said  the  countess,  after  a  short  delay 
— and  Aminta  broke  through  —  "it  pleases  me  to  hear 
of  them,  and  think  they  have  not  forgotten  you,  or,  at 
least,  they  follow  the  lead  you  gave.  I  should  like  to 
know  whether  an  idea  I  have  is  true :  Is  much,  I  mean 
constant,  looking  down  on  young  people  likely  to  pull 
one's  mind  down  to  their  level  ?  " 

"Likely  enough  to  betray  our  level  if  there's  danger," 
he  murmured.  "Society  offers  an  example  that  your 
conjecture  is  not  unfounded,  Lady  Ormont.  But  if  we 
have  great  literature  and  an  interest  in  the  world's 
affairs,  can  there  be  any  fear  of  it?  The  schoolmaster 
ploughs  to  make  a  richer  world,  I  hope.  He  must  live 
with  them,  join  with  them  in  their  games,  accustom  them 
to  have  their  heads  knocked  with  what  he  wants  to  get 
into  them,  leading  them  all  the  while,  as  the  bigger 
schoolfellow  does,  if  he  is  a  good  fellow.  He  has  to  be 
careful  not  to  smell  of  his  office.  Doing  positive  good  is 
the  business  of  his  every  day — on  a  small  scale,  but  it's 
positive,  if  he  likes  his  boys.  Avaunt  favouritism!  — 
he  must  like  all  boys.  And  it's  human  nature  not  so 
far  removed  from  the   dog;    only  it's  a  supple  human 


194  LORD   OilMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

nature :  there's  the  beauty  of  it.  We  train  it.  Nothing 
is  more  certain  than  that  it  will  grow  upward.  I  have 
the  belief  that  I  shall  succeed,  because  I  like  boys,  and 
they  like  me.     It  always  was  the  case." 

"  I  know,"  said  Aminta. 

Their  eyes  met.  She  looked  moved  at  heart  behind 
that  deep  forest  of  her  chestnut  eyes. 

"  And  I  think  I  can  inspire  confidence  in  fathers  and 
mothers,"  he  resumed.  "  I  have  my  boys  already  waiting 
for  me  to  found  the  school.  I  was  pleased  the  other 
day  :  an  English  friend  brought  an  Italian  gentleman  to 
see  me  and  discuss  my  system,  up  at  Norwood,  at  my 
mother's  —  a  Signor  Galliani.  He  is  a  nephew  ;  the 
parents  dote  on  him.  The  uncle  confesses  that  the  boy 
wants  —  he  has  got  hold  of  our  word  —  'pluck.'  We 
had  a  talk.  He  has  promised  to  send  me  the  lad  when 
I  am  established  in  Switzerland." 

"  When  ?  "  said  Aminta. 

"  A  relative  from  whom  a  reversion  comes  is  near  the 
end.  It  won't  be  later  than  September  that  I  shall  go. 
My  Swiss  friend  has  the  school,  and  would  take  me  at 
once  before  he  retires." 

"  You  make  friends  wherever  you  go,"  said  Aminta. 

"  Why  shouldn't  everybody  ?  I'm  convinced  it's  be- 
cause I  show  people  I  mean  well,  and  I  never  nurse  an 
injury,  great  or  small.  And  besides,  they  see  I  look  for- 
ward. I  do  hope  good  for  the  world.  If  at  my  school 
we  have  all  nationalities  —  French   boys   and   German, 


MORE   OF   CUPER's   BOYS  195 

Italian,  Eussian,  Spaniard  —  without  distinction  of  race 
and  religion  and  station,  and  with  English  intermixing  — 
English  games,  English  sense  of  honour  and  conception 
of  gentlemen  —  we  shall  help  to  nationalise  Europe. 
!lSmile  Grenat,  Adolf  Fleischer,  and  an  Italian,  Vincentino 
Chiuse,  are  prepared  to  start  with  me :  and  they  are  men 
of  attainments ;  they  will  throw  up  their  positions  ;  they 
will  do  me  the  honour  to  trust  to  my  leadership.  It's 
not  scaling  Alps  or  commanding  armies,  true." 

"It  may  be  better,"  said  Aminta,  and  thought  as  she 
spoke. 

"Slow  work,  if  we  have  a  taste  for  the  work,  doesn't 
dispirit.  Otherwise,  one  may  say  that  an  African  or 
South  American  traveller  has  a  more  exciting  time.  I 
shall  manage  to  keep  my  head  on  its  travels." 

"You  have  ideas  about  the  education  of  girls?" 

"  They  can't  be  carried  out  unaided." 

"  Aid  will  come." 

Weyburn's  confidence,  high  though  it  was,  had  not 
mounted  to  that  pitch. 

"  One  may  find  a  mate,"  he  said.  The  woman  to  share 
and  practically  to  aid  in  developing  such  ideas  is  not 
easily  found :  that  he  left  as  implied. 

Aminta  was  in  need  of  poetry ;  but  the  young  school- 
master's plain,  well-directed  prose  of  the  view  of  a  busi- 
ness in  life  was  welcome  to  her. 

Lord  Ormont  entered  the  room.  She  reminded  him  of 
the  boys  of  High  Brent  and  the  heroine  Jane.     He  was 


196  LORD  ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ready  to  subscribe  his  five-and-tweiity  guineas,  he  said. 
The  amount  of  the  sum  gratified  Weyburu,  she  could  see. 
She  was  proud  of  her  lord,  and  of  the  boys  and  the  little 
girl ;  and  she  would  have  been  happy  to  make  the  ardent 
young  schoolmaster  aware  of  her  growing  interest  in  the 
young. 

The  night  before  the  Earl's  departure  on  the  solitary 
expedition  to  which  she  condemned  him,  he  surprised  her 
with  a  visit  of  farewell,  so  that  he  need  not  disturb  her 
in  the  early  morning,  he  said.  She  was  reading  beside 
her  open  jewel-box,  and  she  closed  it  with  the  delicate 
touch  of  a  hand  turned  backward  while  listening  to  him, 
with  no  sign  of  nervousness. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WAR   AT    OLMER 


Lively  doings  were  on  the  leap  to  animate  Weyburn 
at  Olmer  during  Easter  week.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hampton- 
Evey,  rector  of  Barborough,  on  hearing  that  Lady  Char- 
lotte Eglett  was  engaged  in  knocking  at  the  doors  of 
litigation  with  certain  acts  that  constituted  distinct 
breaches  of  the  law  and  the  peace,  and  were  a  violation 
of  the  rights  of  her  neighbour  Mr.  Gilbert  Addicote, 
might  hope  that  the  troublesome  parishioner  whom  he 
did  not   often  number  among  his   congregation,  would 


WAE   AT   OLMER  197 

grant  him  a  term  of  repose.  Therein  he  was  deceived. 
Alterations  and  enlargements  of  the  church,  much 
required,  had  necessitated  the  bricking-up  of  a  door 
regarded  by  the  lady  as  the  private  entrance  to  the 
Olmer  pew.  She  sent  him  notice  of  her  intention  to 
batter  at  the  new  brickwork ;  so  there  was  the  prospect 
of  a  pew-fight  before  him.  But  now  she  came  to  sit 
under  him  every  Sunday ;  and  he  could  have  wished  her 
absent,  for  she  diverted  his  thoughts  from  piety  to  the 
selection  of  texts  applicable  in  the  case  of  a  woman  who 
sat  with  arras  knotted,  and  the  frown  of  an  intemperate 
schoolgirl  forbidden  speech;  while  her  pew's  firelight 
startlingly  at  intervals  danced  her  sinister  person  into 
view,  as  from  below.  The  lady's  inaccessible  and  uncon- 
querable obtuseness  to  exhortation  informed  the  picture 
with  an  evil  spirit  that  cried  for  wrestlings. 

Regularly  every  weekday  she  headed  the  war  now 
raging  between  Olmer  and  Addicotes,  on  the  borders  of 
the  estates.  It  was  open  war,  and  herself  to  head  the 
cavalry.  Weyburn,  driving  up  a  lane  in  the  gig  she  had 
sent  to  meet  the  coach,  beheld  a  thicket  of  countrymen 
and  boys  along  a  ridge ;  and  it  swayed  and  broke,  and 
through  it  burst  the  figure  of  a  mounted  warrior  woman 
at  the  gallop,  followed  by  what  bore  an  appearance  of 
horse  and  gun,  minus  carriage,  drivers  at  the  fianks 
cracking  whips  on  foot.  Off  went  the  train,  across  a 
small  gorse  common,  through  a  gate. 

"That's  anjother  down,"  said  his  whip.     ''Sound  good 


198  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

wood  it  is,  not  made  to  fall.  Her  ladyship's  at  it  hard 
to-day.  She'll  teach  Mr.  Addicote  a  thing  or  two 
about  things  females  can  do.  That  is,  when  they 
stand  for  their  rights." 

He  explained  to  Weyburn  that  Mr.  Addicote,  a  yeo- 
man farmer  and  a  good  hunting  man,  but  a  rare  ob- 
stinate one,  now  learning  his  lesson  from  her  ladyship, 
was  in  dispute  with  her  over  rights  of  property  on  a 
stretch  of  fir-trees  lining  the  ridge  where  the  estates 
of  Olmer  and  Addicotes  met.  Her  ladyship  had  sworn 
that  if  he  did  not  yield  to  her  claim  she  would  cut  down 
every  tree  of  the  ridge  and  sell  the  lot  for  timber  under 
his  nose.  She  acted  according  to  her  oath,  in  the  teeth 
of  his  men  two  feet  across  the  border.  All  the  world 
knew  the  roots  of  those  trees  were  for  the  most  part 
in  Olmer  soil,  though  Addicote  shared  the  shade.  All 
the  people  about  mourned  for  the  felling  of  those  trees. 
All  blamed  Mr.  Gilbert  Addicote  for  provoking  her 
ladyship,  good  hunting  man  though  he  was.  But  as 
to  thS  merits  of  the  question,  under  the  magnifier  of 
the  gentlemen  of  the  law,  there  were  as  many  different 
opinions  as  wigs  in  the  land. 

"  And  your  opinion  ?  "  said  Weyburn. 

To  which  the  young  groom  answered:  "Oh,  I  don't 
form  an  opinion,  sir.  I'm  of  my  mistress's  opinion ; 
and  if  she  says,  Do  it,  think  as  we  like^  done  it  has 
to  be." 

Lady  Charlotte  came  at  a  trot  through  the  gate,  to 


WAR   AT  OLMER  199 

supervise  the  limbering-up  of  another  felled  tree.  She 
headed  it  as  before.  The  log  dragged  bounding  and 
twirling,  rattling  its  chains,  the  crowd  along  the  ridge, 
forbidden  to  cheer,  watching  it  with  intense  repression 
of  the  roar.  We  have  not  often  in  England  sight  of 
a  great  lady  challenging  an  unpopular  man  to  battle 
and  smacking  him  in  the  face  like  this  to  provoke  him. 
Weyburn  was  driven  on  a  half-circle  of  the  lane  to  the 
gate,  where  he  jumped  out  to  greet  Lady  Charlotte  trot- 
ting back  for  another  smack  in  the  face  of  her  enemy, 
—  a  third  rounding  of  her  Troy  with  the  vanquished 
dead  at  her  heels,  as  Weyburn  let  a  flimsy  suggestion 
beguile  his  fancy,  until  the  Homeric  was  overwhelming 
even  to  a  playful  mind,  and  he  put  her  in  a  mediaeval 
frame.  She  really  had  the  heroical  aspect  in  a  gran- 
diose-grotesque, fitted  to  some  lines  of  Ariosto.  Her 
head  wore  a  close  hood,  disclosing  a  fringe  of  grey  locks, 
owlish  to  see  about  features  hooked  for  action. 

"Ah,  you!  there  you  are:  good  —  I'll  join  you  in 
three  minutes,"  she  sang  out  to  him,  and  cantered  to  the 
ridge. 

Hardly  beyond  the  stated  number  she  was  beside  him 
again,  ranging  her  steed  for  the  victim  log  to  dance  a 
gyration  on  its  branches  across  the  lane  and  enter  a 
field  among  the  fallen  compeers.  One  of  her  men  had 
run  behind  her.  She  slid  from  her  saddle  and  tossed 
him  the  reins,  catching  up  her  skirts. 

"That    means  war,   as   much  as   they'll  have   it  in 


200  LORD   ORMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

England,"  she  said,  seeing  his  glance  at  the  logs.  "My 
husband's  wise  enough  to  leave  it  to  me,  so  I  save  him 
trouble  with  neighbours.  An  ass  of  a  Mr.  Gilbert 
Addicote  dares  us  to  make  good  our  claim  on  our  prop- 
erty, our  timber,  because  half  a  score  fir-tree  roots  go 
stretching  on  to  his  ground." 

She  swished  her  whip.  Mr.  Gilbert  Addicote  re- 
ceived the  stroke  and  retired,  a  buried  subject.  They 
walked  on  at  an  even  pace.  "  You'll  see  Leo  to-morrow. 
He  worships  you.  You  may  as  well  give  him  a  couple 
of  hours'  coaching  a  day  for  the  week.  He'll  be  hang- 
ing about  you,  and  you  won't  escape  him.  Well,  and 
my  brother  Rowsley :  how  is  Lord  Ormont?     He  never 

comes  to  me  now,  since Well,  it's  nothing  to  me; 

but  I  like  to  see  my  brother.  She  can't  make  any 
change  here."  Olmer  and  Lady  Charlotte's  bosom  were 
both  implied.  "What  do  you  think  ?  —  you've  noticed: 
is  he  in  good  health?  It's  the  last  thing  he'll  be  got 
to  speak  of." 

Weyburn  gave  the  proper  assurances. 

"  Not  he  !  "  said  she.  "  He's  never  ill.  Men  beat 
women  in  the  long  race,  if  they  haven't  overdone  it 
when  young.  My  doctor  wants  me  to  renounce  the 
saddle.  He  says  it's  time.  Not  if  I've  got  work  for 
horseback!"  she  nicked  her  head  emphatically:  "I  hate 
old  age.  They  sha'n't  dismount  me  till  a  blow  comes. 
Hate  it !  But  I  should  despise  myself  if  I  showed  signs, 
like  a  worm   under  heel.     Let   Nature   do   her   worst; 


WAR   AT   OLMER  201 

she  can't  conquer  us  as  long  as  we  keep  up  heart.  You 
won't  have  to  think  of  that  for  a  good  time  yet.  Now 
tell  me  why  Lord  Ormont  didn't  publish  the  Plan  for 
the  Defence  you  said  he  was  writing;  and  he  was,  I 
know.  He  wrote  it  and  he  finished  it;  you  made  the  fair 
copy.  Well,  and  he  read  it,  —  there !  see !  "  She  took 
the  invisible  sheets  in  her  hands  and  tore  them.  "  That's 
my  brother.  He's  so  proud.  It  would  have  looked  like 
asking  the  country,  that  injured  him,  to  forgive  him. 
I  wish  it  had  been  printed.  But  whatever  he  does  I 
admire.  That  — ■  she  might  have  advised,  if  she'd  been  a 
woman  of  public  spirit  or  cared  for  his  reputation.  He 
never  comes  near  me.     Did  she  read  your  copy  ?  " 

The  question  was  meant  for  an  answer, 

Weyburn  replied :  "  Lady  Ormont  had  no  sight  of  it." 

"  Ah !  she's  Lady  Ormont  to  the  servants,  I  know. 
She  has  an  aunt  living  in  the  house.  If  my  brother's 
a  sinner,  and  there's  punishment  for  him,  he  has  it  from 
that  aunt.  Pag.  .  .  .  something.  He  bears  with  her. 
He's  a  Spartan.  She's  his  pack  on  his  back,  for  what 
she  covers  and  the  game  he  plays.  It  looks  just 
tolerably  decent  with  her  in  the  house.  She  goes  gab- 
bling a  story  about  our  Embassy  at  Madrid.  To  pre- 
serve propriety,  as  they  call  it.  Her  niece  doesn't 
stoop  to  any  of  those  tricks,  I'm  told.  I  like  her  for 
that." 

Weyburn  was  roused :  "  I  think  you  would  like  Lady 
Ormont,  if  you  knew  her,  my  lady." 


LIBRARY 

EACHKRS  COLLE9H 
SANTA    BARSARA.   CALIFORNIA 


-S-??^ 


202  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AIVIINTA 

"  The  chances  of  my  liking  the  young  woman  are  not 
in  the  dice-box.  You  call  her  Lady  Ormont:  you  are 
not  one  of  the  servants.  Don't  call  her  Lady  Ormont 
to  me." 

"  It  is  her  title,  Lady  Charlotte." 

She  let  fly  a  broadside  at  him. 

"  Yoii  are  one  of  the  woman's  dupes.  I  thought  you 
had  brains.  How  can  you  be  the  donkey  not  to  see 
that  my  brother  Rowsley,  Lord  Ormont,  would  never 
let  a  woman,  lawfully  bearing  his  name,  go  running  the 
quadrille  over  London  in  couples  with  a  Lady  Staines 
and  a  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley,  Lord  Adderwood,  and 
that  man  Morsfield,  who  boasts  of  your  Lady  Ormont, 
and  does  it  unwhipped  —  tell  me  why  ?  Pooh,  you 
must  be  the  poorest  fool  born  to  suppose  it  possible  my 
brother  would  allow  a  man  like  that  man  Morsfield  to 
take  his  wife's  name  in  his  mouth  a  second  time.  Have 
you  talked  much  with  this  young  person  ?  " 

"  With  Lady  Ormont  ?  I  have  had  the  honour 
occasionally." 

"Stick  to  the  title  and  write  yourself  plush-breech. 
Can't  you  be  more  than  a  footman  ?  Try  to  be  a  man 
of  the  world;  you're  old  enough  for  that  by  now.  I 
know  she's  good-looking ;  the  whole  tale  hangs  on  that. 
You  needn't  be  singing  me  mooncalf  hymn  tunes  of 
'Lady  Ormont,  Lady  Ormont,'  solemn  as  a  parson's 
clerk ;  the  young  woman  brought  good  looks  to  market ; 
and  she  got  the  exchange  she  had  a  right  to  expect. 


WAR   AT   OLMER  203 

But  it's  not  my  brother  Rowsley's  title  she  has  got  — 
except  for  footmen  and  tradesmen.  When  there's  a  true 
Countess  of  Ormont.  Unless  my  brother  has  cut  him- 
self from  his  family.     Not  he.     He's  not  mad." 

They  passed  through  Olmer  park  gates.  Lady  Char- 
lotte preceded  him,  and  she  turned,  waiting  for  him  to 
rejoin  her.  He  had  taken  his  flagellation  in  the  right 
style,  neither  abashed  nor  at  sham  crow :  he  Avas  easy, 
ready  to  converse  on  any  topic;  he  kept  the  line  be- 
tween supple  courtier  and  sturdy  independent;  and  he 
was  a  pleasant  figure  of  a  young  fellow.  Thinking 
which,  a  reminder  that  she  liked  him  drew  her  by  the 
road  of  personal  feeling,  as  usual  with  her,  to  reflect 
upon  another,  and  a  younger,  woman's  observing  and 
necessarily  liking  him  too. 

"  You  say  you  fancy  I  should  like  the  person  you  call 
Lady  Ormont  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  would,  my  lady." 

"  Are  her  manners  agreeable  ?  " 

"  Perfect ;  no  pretension." 

"Ah  !  she  sings,  plays  —  all  that ? " 

"  She  plays  the  harp  and  sings." 

"  You  have  heard  her  ?  " 

"  Twice." 

"  She  didn't  set  you  mewing  ?  " 

"  I  don't  remember  the  impulse  ;  at  all  events,  it  was 
restrained." 

"She  would  me;  but  I'm  an   old   woman.     I  detest 


204  LORD   OEMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

their  squalling  and  strumming.  I  can  stand  it  with 
Italians  on  the  boards :  they  don't  stop  conversation. 
She  was  present  at  that  fencing-match  where  you  plucked 
a  laurel  ?  I  had  an  account  of  it.  I  can't  see  the  use 
of  fencing  in  this  country.  Younger  women  can,  I  dare- 
say. "Now,  look.  If  we're  to  speak  of  her,  I  can't  call 
her  Lady  Ormont,  and  I  don't  want  to  hear  you.  Give 
me  her  Christian  name." 

"  It  is  — "  Weyburn  found  himself  on  a  slope  with- 
out a  stay  —  "  Aminta." 

Lady  Charlotte's  eye  was  on  him.  He  felt  intolerably 
hot ;  his  vexation  at  the  betrayal  of  the  senseless  feel- 
ing made  it  worse,  a  conscious  crimson. 

"  Aminta,"  said  she,  rather  in  the  style  of  Cuper's 
boys,  when  the  name  was  a  strange  one  to  them.  ''I 
remember  my  Italian  master  reading  out  a  poem  when 
I  was  a  girl.  I  read  poetry  then.  You  wouldn't  have 
imagined  that.  I  did,  and  liked  it.  I  hate  old  age.  It 
changes  you  so.  None  of  my  children  know  me  as  I  was 
,  when  I  had  life  in  me  and  was  myself,  and  my  brother 
Kowsley  called  me  Cooey.  They  think  me  a  hard  old 
woman.  I  was  Cooey  through  the  woods  and  over  the 
meadows  and  down  stream  to  E-owsley.  Old  age  is  a 
prison  wall  between  us  and  young  people.  They  see 
a  miniature  head  and  bust,  and  think  it  a  flattery  — 
won't  believe  it.  After  I  married  I  came  to  understand 
that  the  world  we  are  in  is  a  world  to  fight  in,  or  under 
we  go.     But  I  pity  the  young  who  have  to  cast  them- 


WAR   AT   OLMER  205 

selves  off  and  take  up  arms.  Young  women  above 
all." 

Why  had  she  no  pity  for  Aminta  ?  Weyburn  asked 
it  of  his  feelings,  and  he  had  the  customary  insurgent 
reply  from  them. 

"  You  haven't  seen  Steiguton  yet,"  she  continued. 
"  No  place  on  earth  is  equal  to  Steignton  for  me.  It's 
got  the  charm.  Here  at  Olmer  I'm  a  mother  and  a 
grandmother  —  the  Mevil  of  an  old  woman'  my  neigh- 
bours take  me  to  be.  She  hasn't  been  to  Steignton 
either.  No,  and  won't  go  there,  though  she's  working 
her  way  round,  she  supposes.  He'll  do  everything  for 
his  '  Aminta,'  but  he  won't  take  her  to  Steignton.  I'm 
told  now  she's  won  Lady  de  Culme.  That  Mrs.  Law- 
rence Finchley  has  dropped  the  curtsey  to  her  great- 
aunt  and  sworn  to  be  a  good  girl,  for  a  change,  if  Lady 
de  Culme  will  do  the  chaperon  and  force  Lord  Ormont's 
hand.  My  brother  shrugs.  There'll  be  a  nice  explosion 
one  day  soon.  Presented  ?  The  Court  Avon't  have  her. 
That  I  know  for  positive.  If  she's  pushed  forward, 
she'll  be  bitterly  snubbed.  It's  on  the  heads  of  those 
women  —  silly  women  !  I  can't  see  the  game  Mrs.  Law- 
rence Finchley's  playing.  She'd  play  for  fun.  If  they'd 
come  to  me,  I'd  tell  them  I've  proof  she's  not  the 
Countess  of  Ormont :  positive  proof.  You  look  ?  I 
have  it.  I  hold  something;  and  not  before, —  (he  may 
take  his  Aminta  to  Steignton,  he  may  let  her  be  pre- 
sented,   she  may  wear  his   name   publicly,  I    say    he's 


206  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

laughing  at  them,  snapping  his  lingers  at  them  louder 
and  louder  the  more  they  seem  to  be  pushing  him  into 
a  corner,  until  —  I  know  my  brother  Eowsley!  —  and, 
poor  dear  fellow  !  a  man  like  that,  the  best  cavalry  gen- 
eral England  ever  had :  —  they'll  remember  it  when  there 
comes  a  cry  for  a  general  from  India:  that's  the  way 
with  the  English  ;  only  their  necessities  teach  them  to 
be  just !)  —  he  to  be  reduced  to  be  out-manoeuvring  a 
swarm  of  women,  —  I  tell  them,  not  before  my  brother 
Rowsley  comes  to  me  for  what  he  handed  to  my  care 
and  I  keep  safe  for  him,  will  I  believe  he  has  made  or 
means  to  make  his  Aminta  Countess  of  Ormont." 

They  were  at  the  steps  of  the  house.  Turning  to 
Weyburn  there,  the  inexhaustible  Lady  Charlotte  re- 
marked that  their  conversation  had  given  her  pleasure. 
Leo  was  hanging  on  to  one  of  his  hands  the  next  minute. 
A  small  girl  took  the  other.  Philippa  and  Beatrice 
were  banished  damsels. 

Lady  Charlotte's  breath  had  withered  the  aspect  of 
Aminta's  fortunes.  Weyburn  could  forgive  her,  for  he 
was  beginning  to  understand  her.  He  could  not  pardon 
"  her  brother  Eowsley,"  who  loomed  in  his  mind  incom- 
prehensible, and  therefore  black.  Once  he  had  thought 
the  great  general  a  great  man.  He  now  regarded  him 
as  a  mere  soldier,  a  soured  veteran ;  socially  as  a  masker 
and  a  trifler,  virtually  a  callous  angler  playing  his 
cleverly-hooked  fish  for  pastime. 

What  could  be  the  meaning  of  Lady  Charlotte's  "  that 


WAR   AT   OLMER  207 

man  Morsfield,  who  boasts  of  your  Lady  Ormont,  and 
does  it  unwhipped  "  ? 

Weyburn  stopped  his  questioning,  with  the  reflection 
that  he  had  no  right  to  recollect  her  words  thus 
accurately. 

The  words,  however,  stamped  Morsfield's  doings  and 
sayings  and  postures  in  the  presence  of  Aminta  with 
significance.  When  the  ladies  were  looking  on  at  the 
fencers,  Morsfield's  perfect  coxcombry  had  been  notice- 
able. He  knew  the  art  of  airing  a  fine  figure.  Mrs. 
Lawrence  Finchley  had  spoken  of  it,  and  Aminta  had 
acquiesced:  in  the  gravely  simple  manner  of  women 
who  may  be  thinking  of  it  much  more  intently  than 
the  vivacious  prattler,  Aminta  confessed  to  an  admira- 
tion of  masculine  physical  beauty :  the  picador,  matador, 
of  the  Spanish  ring  called  up  an  undisguised  glow  that 
English  ladies  show  coldly  when  they  condescend  to  let 
it  be  seen ;  as  it  were,  a  line  or  two  of  colour  on  the 
wintriest  of  skies.  She  might,  after  all,  at  heart  be  one 
of  the  leisured,  jewelled,  pretty-winged ;  the  spending, 
never  harvesting,  world  she  claimed  and  sought  to  enter. 
And  what  a  primitive  world  it  was !  —  Avorld  of  the 
glittering  beast  and  the  not  too  swiftly  flying  prey ;  the 
savage  passions  clothed  in  silk.  Surely  desire  to  belong 
to  it  writes  us  poor  creatures.  Mentally,  she  could 
hardly  be  maturer  than  the  hero-worshipping  girl  in 
the  procession  of  Miss  Vincent's  young  seminarists. 
Probably  so;  but  she  carried  magic.     She  was  of  the 


208  LORD   ORMONO^   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

order  of  women  who  walk  as  the  goddesses  of  old, 
bearing  the  gift  divine.  And,  by  the  way,  she  had  the 
step  of  the  goddess.  Weyburn  repeated  to  himself  the 
favourite  familiar  line  expressive  of  the  glorious  Avalk, 
and  accused  Lord  Ormont  of  being  in  cacophonous 
accordance  with  the  perpetual  wrong  of  circumstance, 
he  her  possessor,  the  sole  person  of  her  sj)here  insen- 
sible to  the  magic  she  bore  !     So  ran  his  thought. 

The  young  man  chose  to  conceive  that  he  thought 
abstractedly.  He  was,  in  truth,  often  casting  about  for 
the  chances  of  his  meeting  on  some  fortunate  day  the 
predestmed  schoolmaster's  wife :  a  lady  altogether  praise- 
worthy for  carrying  principles  of  -sound  government  in- 
stead of  magic.  Consequently,  susceptible  to  woman's 
graces  though  he  knew  himself  to  be,  Lady  Ormont's 
share  of  them  hung  in  the  abstract  for  him.  His  hopes 
were  bent  on  an  early  escape  to  Switzerland  and  his 
life's  work. 

Lady  Charlotte  mounted  to  ride  to  the  battle  daily. 
She  talked  of  her  brother  Rowsley,  and  of  "  Aininta," 
and  provoked  an  advocacy  of  the  Countess  of  Ormont, 
and  trampled  the  pleas  and  defences  to  dust,  much  in 
the  same  tone  as  on  the  first  day;  sometimes  showing 
a  peep  of  sweet  humaneness,  like  the  ripe  berry  of  a 
bramble,  and  at  others  rattling  thiinder  at  the  wretch 
of  a  woman  audacious  enough  to  pretend  to  a  part  in 
her  brother's  title. 

Not   that    she    had  veneration   for  titles.     She  con- 


WAR   AT   OLMER  209 

sidered  them  a  tinsel,  and  the  devotee  on  his  knee-caps 
to  them  a  kimp  for  a  kick.  Adding:  ^'Of  course  I 
stand  for  my  class;  and  if  we  can't  have  a  manlier 
people  —  and  it's  not  likely  in  a  country  treating  my 
brother  so  badly  —  well,  then,  let  things  go  on  as  they 
are."  But  it  was  the  pretension  to  a  part  in  the  name 
of  Ormont  which  so  violently  offended  the  democratic 
aristocrat,  and  caused  her  to  resent  it  as  an  assault  on 
the  family  honour,  by  "a  woman  springing  up  out  of 
nothing  "  —  i.e.,  a  woman  of  no  distinctive  birth. 

She  was  rational  in  her  fashion;  or  Weyburn  could 
at  least  see  where  and  how  the  reason  in  her  took  a 
twist.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hampton-Evey  would  not  see  it ; 
he  was,  in  charity  to  her  ladyship,  of  a  totally  contrary 
opinion,  he  informed  Weyburn.  The  laborious  pastor 
and  much-enduring  Churchman  met  my  lady's  apologist 
as  he  was  having  a  swing  of  the  legs  down  the  lanes 
before  breakfast,  and  he  fell  upon  a  series  of  complaints, 
which  were  introduced  by  a  declaration  that  "he  much 
feared"  her  ladyship  would  have  a  heavy  legal  bill  to 
pay  for  taking  the  law  into  her  hands  up  at  Addicotes. 

Her  ladyship  might,  if  she  pleased,  he  said,  encourage 
her  domestics  and  her  husband's  tenants  and  farm- 
labourers  to  abandon  the  church  for  the  chapel,  and 
go,  as  she  had  done  and  threatened  to  do  habitually, 
to  the  chapel  herself ;  but  to  denounce  the  ritual  of  the 
Orthodox  Church  under  the  denomination  of  "barbar- 
ous," to  say  of  the  invoking  supplications  of  the  service, 


210  LOKD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AISHNTA 

that  tliey  were  —  she  had  been  heard  to  state  it  more 
or  less  publicly  and  repeatedly  —  suitable  to  abject 
ministers  and  throngs  at  the  court  of  an  Indian  rajah, 
that  he  did  not  hesitate  to  term  highly  unbecoming  in 
a  lady  of  her  station,  subversive,  and  unchristian.  The 
personal  burdens  inflicted  on  him  by  her  ladyship  he 
prayed  for  patience  to  endure.  He  surprised  "Weyburn 
in  speaking  pf  Lady  Charlotte  as  "  educated  and  accom- 
plished." She  was  rather  more  so  than  Weyburn  knew, 
and  more  so  than  was  common  among  the  great  ladies 
of  her  time. 

Weyburn  strongly  advised  the  reverend  gentleman  on 
having  it  out  with  Lady  Charlotte  in  a  personal  inter- 
view. He  sketched  the  great  lady's  combative  character 
on  a  foundation  of  benevolence,  and  stressed  her  toler- 
ance for  open  dealing,  and  the  advantage  gained  by 
personal  dealings  with  her  —  after  a  mauling  or  two. 
His  language  and  his  illustrations  touched  an  old-school 
chord  in  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hampton-Evey,  who  hummed 
over  the  project,  profoundly  disrelishing  the  introductory 
portion. 

"Do  me  the  honour  to  call  and  see  me  to-morrow, 
after  breakfast,  before  her  ladyship  starts  for  the  fray 
on  Addicote  heights,"  Weyburn  said;  *'and  I  Avill  ask 
your  permission  to  stand  by  you.  Her  bark  is  terrific, 
we  know  ;  and  she  can  bite,  but  there's  no  venom." 

Finally,  on  a  heave  of  his  chest,  Mr.  Hampton-Evey 
consented  to  call,  in  the  interests  of  peace. 


WAR   AT  OLMER  211 

Weyburn  had  said  it  must  be  "  man  to  man  with  her, 
facing  her  and  taking  steps " ;  and,  although  the  pros- 
pect Avas  unpleasant  to  repulsiveness,  it  was  a  cheerful 
alternative  beside  Mr.  Hanipton-Evey's  experiences  and 
anticipations  of  the  malignant  black  power  her  ladyship 
could  be  when  she  was  not  faced. 

"  Let  the  man  come,"  said  Lady  Charlotte.  Her 
shoulders  intimated  readiness  for  him. 

She  told  Weyburn  he  might  be  present  —  insisted  to 
have  him  present.  During  the  day  Weyburn  managed 
to  slide  in  observations  on  the  favourable  reports  of 
Mr.  Hampton-Evey's  work  among  the  poor  —  emollient 
doses  that  irritated  her  to  fret  and  paw,  as  at  a  checking 
of  her  onset. 

In  the  afternoon  the  last  disputed  tree  on  the  Addi- 
cotes'  ridge  was  felled  and  laid  in  Olmer  ground.  Rid- 
ing with  Weyburn  and  the  joyful  Leo,  she  encountered 
Mr.  Eglett  and  called  out  the  news.  He  remarked,  in 
the  tone  of  philosophy  proper  to  a  placable  country  gen- 
tleman obedient  to  government  on  foreign  affairs  :  "  Now 
for  the  next  act.     But  no  more  horseback  now,  mind  ! " 

She  muttered  of  not  recollecting  a  promise.  He  re- 
peated the  interdict.  Weyburn  could  fancy  seeing  her 
lips  form  words  of  how  she  hated  old  age. 

He  had  been  four  days  at  Olmer,  always  facing  her, 
"  man  to  man,"  in  the  matter  of  Lady  Ormont,  not  mak- 
ing way  at  all,  but  holding  firm,  and  winning  respectful 
treatment.     They  sat  alone  in  her  private  roum,  where, 


212  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

without  prelude,  she  discharged  a  fiery  squib  at  impu- 
dent hussies  caught  up  to  the  saddle-bow  of  a  hero 
for  just  a  canter,  and  pretending  to  a  permanent  seat 
beside  him. 

"  You  have  only  to  see  Lady  Ormont ;  you  will  admit 
the  justice  of  her  claim,  my  lady,"  said  he;  and  as 
evidently  he  wanted  a  fight  she  let  him  have  it. 

"You  try  to  provoke  me;  you  take  liberties.  You 
may  call  the  woman  Aminta,  I've  told  you ;  you  insult 
me  when  you  call  the  woman  by  my  family  name." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  lady :  I  have  no  right  to  call  Lady 
Ormont  Aminta." 

"  You've  never  done  so,  eh  ?    Say !  " 

She  had  him  at  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  He  escaped 
by  saying,  "  Her  Christian  name  was  asked  the  other 
day,  and  I  mentioned  it.  She  is  addressed  by  me  as 
Lady  Ormont." 

"  And  by  her  groom  and  her  footman.  They  all  do  ;  it's 
the  indemnity  to  that  class  of  young  women.  Her  linen- 
draper  is  Lady-Ormonting  as  you  do.  I  took  you  for  a 
gentleman.  Let  me  hear  you  give  her  that  title  again, 
you  shall  hear  her  true  one,  that  the  world  fits  her  with, 
from  me." 

The  time  was  near  the  half-hour  bell  before  dinner, 
the  situation  between  them  that  of  the  fall  of  the  breath 
to  fetch  words  electrical.  She  left  it  to  him  to  begin 
the  fight,  and  was  not  sorry  that  she  had  pricked  him 
for  it. 


WAR   AT  OLMER  213 

A  footman  entered  the  room,  bearer  of  a  missive  for 
Mr.  Weyburn.  Lord  Ormont's  groom  had  brought  it 
from  London. 

"  Send  in  the  man,"  said  Lady  Charlotte. 

Weyburn  read: 

"The  Countess  of  Ormont  begs  Mr.  Weyburn  to 
return  instantly.  There  has  been  an  accident  in  his 
home.  It  may  not  be  very  serious.  An  arm  —  a  shock 
to  the  system  from  a  fall.  Messenger  informs  her,  fear 
of  internal  haemorrhage.     Best  doctors  in  attendance." 

He  handed  Lady  Charlotte  the  letter.  She  humped  at 
the  first  line,  flashed  across  the  remainder,  and  in  a  low- 
ered voice  asked : 

"  Sister  in  the  house  ?  " 

"My  mother,"  Weyburn  said. 

The  groom  appeared.  He  knew  nothing.  The  Coun- 
tess had  given  him  orders  to  spare  no  expense  on  the 
road  to  Olmer,  without  a  minute's  delay.  He  had  ridden 
and  driven. 

He  looked  worn.  Lady  Charlotte  rang  the  bell  for  her 
butler.     To  him  she  said  : 

"  See  that  this  man  has  a  good  feed  of  meat,  any  pasty 
you  have,  and  a  bottle  of  port  wine.  He  has  earned  a 
pipe  of  tobacco ;  make  up  a  bed  for  him.  Despatch  at 
once  any  one  of  the  stable-boys  to  Loughton  —  the  Dol- 
phin.    Mr.  Leeman  there  will  have  a  chariot,  fly,  gig, 


214  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

anythiug,  ready-horsed  in  three  hours  from  now.  See 
Empson  yourself ;  he  will  put  my  stepper  Mab  to  the 
light  trap ;  no  delay.  Have  his  feed  at  Loughton.  Tell 
IVIrs.  Maples  to  send  up  now,  here,  a  tray,  whatever  she 
has,  within  five  minutes  —  not  later.  A  bottle  of  the 
Peace  of  Amiens  Chambertin  —  Mr.  Eglett's.  You  un- 
derstand. Mrs.  IMaples  will  pack  a  basket  for  the 
journey ;  she  will  judge.  Add  a  bottle  of  the  Waterloo 
Bordeaux.  Wait :  a  dozen  of  Mr.  Eglett's  cigars.  Brisk 
with  all  the  orders.     Go." 

She  turned  to  Weyburn.  "You  pack  your  portman- 
teau faster  than  a  servant  will  do  it." 

He  ran  upstairs. 

She  was  beside  the  tray  to  welcome  and  inspirit  his 
eating,  and  she  performed  the  busy  butler's  duty  in 
pouring  out  wine  for  him.  It  was  a  toned  old  Burgundy, 
happy  in  the  year  of  its  birth,  the  grandest  of  instru- 
ments to  roll  the  gambol-march  of  the  Dionysiaca 
through  the  blood  of  this  frame  and  sound  it  to  the 
spirit.  She  spoke  no  word  of  his  cause  for  departure. 
He  drank,  and  he  felt  what  earth  can  do  to  cheer  one  of 
her  stricken  children  and  strengthen  the  beat  of  a  heart 
with  a  dread  like  a  shot  in  it. 

She,  while  he  flew  supporting  the  body  of  his  most 
beloved  to  the  sun  of  Life  ui  brighter  hope,  reckoned  the 
stages  of  his  journey. 

"  Leeman  at  Loughton  will  post  you  through  the  night 
to  Mersley.     Wherever  you  bait,  it  is  made  known  that 


"WAR   AT   OLMER  215 

you  come  from  Olmer,  and  are  one  of  us.  That  passes 
you  on  up  to  London,  Where  can  Lord  Ormont  be 
now  ?  " 

"  In  Paris." 

"  Still  in  Paris  ?  He  leaves  her.  She  did  well  to 
send  as  she  did.  You  will  not  pay  for  the  posting  along 
the  road." 

"  I  will  pay  for  myself  —  I  have  a  purse,"  Weyburn 
said ;  and  continued,  "  Oh,  my  lady,  there  is  Mr.  Hamp- 
ton-Evey  to-morrow  morning:  I  promised  to  stand  by 
him." 

"  I'll  explain,"  said  Lady  Charlotte.  "  He  shall  not 
miss  you.  If  he  strips  the  parson  and  comes  as  a  man 
and  a  servant  of  the  poor,  he  has  nothing  to  fear. 
You've  done  ?  The  night  before  my  brother  Kowsley's 
first  duel  I  sat  with  him  at  supper  and  poured  his  wine 
out,  and  knew  what  was  going  to  happen,  didn't  say  a 
word.  No  use  in  talking  about  feelings.  Besides,  death 
is  only  the  other  side  of  the  ditch,  and  one  or  other  of  us 
must  go  foremost.  Now  then,  goodbye.  Empson's 
waiting  by  this  time.  Mr.  Eglett  and  Leo  shall  hear  the 
excuses  from  me.  Think  of  anything  you  may  want, 
while  I  count  ten." 

She  held  his  hand.  He  wanted  her  to  be  friendly  to 
Lady  Ormont,  but  could  not  vex  her  at  the  last  moment, 
touched  as  he  was  by  her  practical  kindness. 

She  pressed  his  hand  and  let  it  go. 


216  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 


CHAPTER  XIV 

OLD    LOVERS   NEW   FRIENDS 

The  cottage  inhabited  by  Weyburn's  mother  was  on 
the  southern  hills  over  London,  He  reached  it  late 
in  the  afternoon.  His  mother's  old  servant,  Martha, 
spied  the  roadway  at  the  gate  of  the  small  square  of 
garden.  Her  steady  look  without  welcome  told  him 
the  scene  he  would  meet  beyond  the  door,  and  was  the 
dead  in  her  eyes.  He  dropped  from  no  height;  he  stood 
on  a  level  with  the  blow.  His  apprehensions  on  the 
road  had  lowered  him  to  meet  it. 

"  Too  late,  Martha?  " 

"She's  in  heaven,  my  dear." 

"She  is  lying  alone?" 

"The  London  doctor  left  half  an  hour  back.  She's 
gone.  Slipped,  and  fell,  coming  from  her  room,  all  the 
way  down.  She  prayed  for  grace  to  see  her  son.  She'll 
watch  over  him,  be  sure.  You'll  not  find  it  lone  and 
cold.  A  lady  sits  with  it  —  Lady  Ormont,  they  call  her 
—  a  very  kind  lady.  My  mistress  liked  her  voice. 
Ever  since  news  of  the  accident,  up  to  ten  at  night; 
and  never  eats  or  drinks  more  than  a  poor,  tiny  bit  of 
bread-and-butter,  with  a  teacup." 

Weybvirn  went  upstairs. 

Aminta  sat  close  to  the  bedside  in  a  darkened  room. 


OLD  LOVERS  NEW   FRIENDS  217 

They  greeted  silently.  He  saw  the  white  shell  of  the 
life  that  had  flown;  he  took  his  mother's  hand  and 
kissed  it,  and  knelt,  clasping  it. 

Fear  of  disturbing  his  prayer  kept  Aminta  seated. 

Death  was  a  stranger  to  him.  The  still  warm,  half 
cold,  nerveless  hand  smote  the  fact  of  things  as  they 
were  through  the  prayer  for  things  as  Ave  would  have 
them.  The  vitality  of  his  prayer  was  the  sole  light  he 
had.  It  drew  sustainment  from  the  dead  hand  in  his 
grasp,  and  cowered  down  to  the  earth  claiming  all  we 
touch.  He  tried  to  summon  vision  of  a  soaring  spiritu- 
ality; he  could  not;  his  understanding  and  senses  were 
too  stricken.  He  prayed  on.  His  prayer  was  as  a  little 
fountain,  not  rising  high  out  of  earth,  and  in  the  clutch 
of  death ;  but  its  being  it  had  from  death,  his  love  gave 
it  food. 

Prayer  is  power  within  us  to  communicate  with  the 
desired  beyond  our  thirsts.  The  goodness  of  the  dear 
good  mother  gone  was  in  him  for  assurance  of  a  breast 
of  goodness  to  receive  her,  whatever  the  nature  of  the 
eternal  secret  may  be.  The  good  life  gone  lives  on  in 
the  mind ;  the  bad  has  but  a  life  in  the  bod}^,  and  that 
not  lasting, —  it  extends,  dispreads,  it  worms  away,  it 
perishes.  Need  we  more  to  bid  the  mind  perceive 
through  obstructive  flesh  the  God  who  reigns,  a  devil 
vanquished? 

Be  certain  that  it  is  the  pure  mind  we  set  to  perceive. 
The  God  discerned  in  thought  is  another  than  he  of  the 


218  LOUD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

senses.  And  let  the  prayer  be  as  a  little  fountain. 
Rising  on  a  spout,  from  dread  of  the  hollow  below,  the 
prayer  may  be  prolonged  in  words  begetting  words,  and 
have  a  pulse  of  fervour:  the  spirit  of  it  has  fallen  after 
the  first  jet.  That  is  the  delirious  energy  of  our  crav- 
ing, which  has  no  life  in  our  souls.  We  do  not  get  to 
any  heaven  by  renouncing  the  mother  we  spring  from; 
and  when  there  is  an  eternal  secret  for  us,  it  is  best  to 
believe  that  Earth  knows,  to  keep  near  her,  even  in  our 
utmost  aspirations. 

Weyburn  still  knelt.  He  was  warned  to  quit  the 
formal  posture  of  an  exhausted  act  by  the  thought,  that 
he  had  come  to  reflect  upon  how  he  might  be  useful  to 
his  boys  in  a  like  calamity. 

Having  risen,  he  became  aware,  that  for  some  time  of 
his  kneeling  Aminta's  hand  had  been  on  his  head,  and 
they  had  raised  their  souls  in  unison.  It  was  a  soul's 
link.     They  gazed  together  on  the  calm,  rapt  features. 

They  passed  from  the  room. 

"I  cannot  tliank  you,"  he  said. 

"Oh,  no;  I  have  the  reason  for  gratitude,"  said  she. 
"I  have  learnt  to  know  and  love  her,  and  hope  I  may 
imitate  when  my  time  is  near." 

"She  .  .  .  at  the  last?" 

"Peacefully;  no  pain.  The  breath  had  not  left  her 
very  long  before  you  came." 

"I  said  I  cannot;  but  I  must." 

"Do  not." 


OLD   LOVERS   NEW    FRIENDS  219 

"Not  in  speech,  then." 

They  went  into  the  tasteful  little  sitting-room  below, 
where  the  stillness  closed  upon  them  as  a  consciousness 
of  loss. 

"You  have  comforted  her  each  day,"  he  said. 

"It  has  been  my  one  happiness." 

"I  could  not  wish  for  better  than  for  her  to  have 
known  you." 

"Say  that  for  me.  I  have  gained.  She  left  her  last 
words  for  you  with  me.  They  were  love,  love  .  .  . 
pride  in  her  son :  thanks  to  God  for  having  been  thought 
worthy  to  give  him  birth." 

"She  was  one  of  the  noble  women  of  earth." 

"  She  was  your  mother.  Let  me  not  speak  any  more. 
I  think  I  will  now  go.     I  am  rarely  given  to  these " 

The  big  drops  were  falling. 

"You  have  not  ordered  your  carriage?" 

"It  brings  me  here.     I  find  my  way  home." 

"Alone?" 

"I  like  the  independence." 

"At  night,  too!" 

"  Nothing  harmed  me.  Now  it  is  daylight.  A  letter 
arrived  for  you  from  High  Brent  this  morning.  I  for- 
got to  bring  it.  Yesterday  two  of  your  pupils  called 
here.     Martha  saw  them." 

Her  naming  of  the  old  servant  familiarly  melted  him. 

"You  will  not  bear  to  hear  praise  or  thanks." 

"If  I  deserved  them.     I  should  like  you  to  call  on 


220  LORD   OKMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

Dr.  Biixton;  he  will  tell  you  more  than  we  can.  He 
drove  with  me  the  first  day,  after  I  had  sent  you  the 
local  doctor's  report.  I  had  it  from  the  messenger,  his 
assistant." 

Weyburn  knew  Dr.  Buxton's  address.  He  begged  her 
to  stay  and  take  some  nourishment;  ventured  a  remark 
on  her  wasted  look. 

*'It  is  poor  fare  in  cottages." 

"I  have  been  feeding  on  better  than  bread  and  meat," 
she  said.  "  I  should  have  eaten  if  I  had  felt  appetite. 
My  looks  will  recover,  such  as  they  are.  I  hope  I  have 
grown  out  of  them ;  they  are  a  large  part  of  the  bondage 
of  women.  You  would  like  to  see  me  safe  into  some 
conveyance.  Go  upstairs  for  a  few  minutes ;  I  will  wait 
here." 

He  obeyed  her.  Passing  from  the  living  to  the  dead, 
from  the  dead  to  the  living,  they  were  united  in  his 
heart. 

Her  brevity  of  tone,  and  her  speech,  so  practical  upon 
a  point  of  need,  under  a  crisis  of  distress,  reminded  him 
of  Lady  Charlotte  at  the  time  of  the  groom's  arrival 
with  her  letter. 

Aminta  was  in  no  hurry  to  drive.  She  liked  walking 
and  looking  down  on  London,  she  said. 

"My  friend  and  schoolmate,  Selina  Collett,  comes  to 
me  at  Whitsuntide.  We  have  taken  a  house  on  the 
Upper  Thames,  above  Marlow.  You  will  come  and  see 
us,  if  you  can  be  persuaded  to  leave  your  boys.     We 


OLD   LOVERS   NEW    FRIENDS  221 

have  a  boathouse,  and  a  bathing-plank  for  divers.  The 
stream  is  quiet  there  between  rich  meadows.  It  seems 
to  flow  as  if  it  thought.  1  am  not  poetical;  I  tell  you 
only  my  impression.  You  shall  be  a  great  deal  by 
yourself,  as  men  prefer  to  be." 

"As  men  are  forced  to  be  —  I  beg!  "  said  he.  "Divi- 
sion is  against  my  theories." 

"  We  might  help  if  we  understood  one  another,  I  have 
often  fancied.  I  know  something  of  your  theories.  I 
should  much  like  to  hear  you  some  day  on  the  scheme  of 
the  school  in  Switzerland,  and  also  on  the  schoolmaster's 
profession.  She  whom  we  have  lost  was  full  of  it,  and 
spoke  of  it  to  me  as  much  as  her  weakness  would  permit. 
The  subject  seemed  to  give  her  strength." 

"She  has  always  encouraged  me,"  said  Weyburn. 
"I  have  lost  her,  but  I  shall  feel  that  she  is  not 
absent.  She  had  ideas  of  her  own  about  men  and 
women." 

"Some  she  mentioned." 

"And  about  marriage." 

"That,  too." 

Aminta  shook  herself  out  of  a  sudden  stupor. 

"  Her  mind  was  very  clear  up  to  the  last  hour  upon 
all  the  subjects  interesting  her  son.  She  at  one  time 
regretted  his  not  being  a  soldier,  for  the  sake  of  his 
father's  memory.  Then  she  learned  to  think  he  could 
do  more  for  the  world  as  the  schoolmaster.  She  said 
you  can  persuade." 


222  LORD    ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

"We  had  our  talks.  She  would  have  the  reason  if 
she  was  to  be  won.     I  like  no  other  kind  of  persuasion." 

"I  long  to  talk  over  the  future  school  with  you. 
That  is,  to  hear  your  plans." 

They  were  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  in  view  of  an  inn 
announcing  livery  stables.  She  wished  to  walk  the 
whole  distance.     He  shook  his  head. 

The  fly  was  ready  for  her  soon,  and  he  begged  to  see 
her  safe  home.  She  refused,  after  taking  her  seat,  but 
said:  "At  any  other  time.  We  are  old  friends.  You 
will  really  go  through  the  ceremony  of  consulting  me 
about  the  school?" 

He  replied:  "I  am  honoured." 

"Ah,  not   to   me,"   said  Aminta.     "We  will  be  the 

friends  we .     You  will  not  be  formal  with  me?  — 

not  from  this  day?  " 

She  put  out  her  hand.  He  took  it  gently.  The  dead 
who  had  drawn  them  together  withheld  a  pressure. 

Holding  the  hand,  he  said:  "I  shall  crave  leave  of 
absence  for  some  days." 

"I  shall  see  you  on  the  day,"  said  she. 

"If  it  is  your  desire:  I  will  send  word." 

"We  both  mourn  at  heart.  We  should  be  in  com- 
pany.    Adieu." 

Their  hands  fell  apart.  They  looked.  The  old 
schooltime  was  in  each  mind.  They  saw  it  as  a  shore- 
bank  in  grey  outline  across  morning  mist.  Years  were 
between;    and  there  was  the  division  of  circumstance, 


OLD   LOVERS   NEW   FRIENDS  223 

more  repelling  than  an  abyss  or  the  rush  of  deep  wild 
waters. 

Neither  of  them  had  regrets.  Under  their  cloud,  and 
Avith  the  grief  they  shared,  they  were  as  happy  as  two 
could  be  in  recovering  one  another  as  friends. 

On  the  day  of  the  funeral  Aminta  drove  to  tlie  spot 
where  they  had  parted;  she  walked  to  tlie  cliurchyard. 
She  followed  the  coffin  to  its  gravel-lieap,  wishing 
neither  to  see  nor  be  seen,  only  that  she  might  be  so 
far  attached  to  the  remains  of  the  dead;  and  the  sense 
of  blessedness  she  liad  in  her  bowed  simplicity  of  feeling 
was  as  if  the  sainted  dead  had  cleansed  and  anointed 
her. 

When  the  sods  had  been  cast  on,  the  last  word  spoken, 
she  walked  her  way  back,  happy  in  being  alone,  un- 
noticed. She  was  grateful  to  the  chief  mourner  for 
letting  her  go  as  she  had  come.  That  helped  her  to  her 
sense  of  purification,  the  haven  out  of  the  passions, 
hardly  less  quiet  than  the  repose  into  which  the  dear 
dead  woman,  his  mother,  had  entered. 

London  lay  beneath  her.  The  might  of  the  great 
hive  hummed  at  the  verge  of  her  haven  of  peace  without 
disturbing.  There  she  had  been  what  none  had  known 
of  her:  an  ambitious  girl,  modest  merely  for  lack  of 
intrepidity;  paralysed  by  her  masterful  lord;  aiming 
her  highest  at  a  gilt  weathercock;  and  a  disappointed 
creature,  her  breast  a  home  of  serpents;  never  herself. 
She  thought  and  hoped  she  was  herself  now.     Alarm 


224  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

lest  this  might  be  another  of  her  moods,  victim  of  moods 
as  she  had  latterly  been,  was  a  shadow  armed  with  a 
dart  playing  round  her  to  find  the  weak  spot.  It 
sprang  from  her  acknowledged  weakness  of  nature;  and 
she  cast  about  for  how  to  keep  it  outside  her  and  lean 
on  a  true  though  a  small  internal  support.  She  struck 
at  her  desires,  to  sound  them. 

They  were  yesterday  for  love;  partly  for  distinction, 
for  a  woman  having  beauty  to  shine  in  the  sphere  of 
beauty;  but  chiefly  to  love  and  be  loved,  therefore  to 
live.  She  had  yesterday  read  letters  of  a  man  who 
broke  a  music  from  the  word  —  about  as  much  music  as 
there  is  in  a  tuning-fork,  yet  it  rang  and  lingered;  and 
he  was  not  the  magical  musician.  Now  those  letters 
were  as  dust  of  the  road.  The  sphere  of  beauty  was  a 
glass  lamp-globe  for  delirious  motlis.  She  had  changed. 
Belief  in  the  real  change  gave  her  full  view  of  the 
compliant  coward  she  had  been. 

Her  heart  assured  her  she  had  natural  courage.  She 
felt  that  it  could  be  stubborn  to  resist  a  softness.  Now 
she  cared  no  more  for  the  hackneyed  musical  word; 
friendship  was  her  desire.  If  it  is  not  life's  poetry,  it 
is  credible  prose;  a  land  of  low  undulations  instead  of 
Alps;  beyond  the  terrors  and  the  deceptions.  And  she 
could  trust  her  friend :  he  was  of  a  singular  constancy. 
His  mother  had  told  her  of  his  preserving  letters  of  a 
girl  he  loved  when  at  school;  and  of  his  journeys  to  an 
empty  house  at  Dover.     That  was  past;  but,  as  the  boy, 


OLD   LOVERS   NEW   FRIENDS  225 

SO  the  man  would  be  in  sincerity  of  feeling  —  trust- 
worthy to  the  uttermost. 

She  mused  on  the  friend.  He  was  brave.  She  had 
seen  how  he  took  his  blow,  and  sorrow  as  a  sister,  con- 
quering emotion.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  of  him 
by  one  who  knew  him  when  at  school.  Had  he  faults? 
He  must  have  faults.  She,  curiously,  could  see  none. 
After  consenting  to  his  career  as  a  schoolmaster,  and 
seeing  nothing  ludicrous  in  it,  she  endowed  him  with 
the  young  school-hero's  reputation,  beheld  him  with  the 
eyes  of  the  girl  who  had  loved  him  —  and  burnt  his  old 
letters!  bitterly  regretted  that  she  burnt  his  letters!  — 
and  who  had  applauded  his  contempt  of  ushers  and 
masters  opposing  his  individual  will  and  the  thing  he 
thought  it  right  to  do. 

Musing  thus,  she  turned  a  corner,  on  a  sudden,  in  her 
mind,  and  ran  against  a  mirror,  wherein  a  small  figure 
running  up  to  meet  her,  grew  large  and  nodded,  with  the 
laugh  and  eyes  of  Browny.  So  little  had  she  changed! 
The  steadfast  experienced  woman  rebuked  that  volatile, 
and  some  might  say,  faithless  girl.  But  the  girl  had 
her  answer:  she  declared  they  were  one  and  the  same, 
affirmed  that  the  years  between  were  a  bad  night's 
dream,  that  her  heart  had  been  faithful,  that  he  who 
conjures  visions  of  romance  in  a  young  girl's  bosom 
must  always  have  her  heart,  as  a  crisis  will  reveal  it  to 
her.  She  had  the  volubility  of  the  mettled  Browny  of 
old,  and  was  lectured.  When  she  insisted  on  shouting 
Q 


226  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HlS   AMlKf  A 

"  Matey !  Matey ! "  she  was  angrily  spurned  and 
silenced. 

Aminta  ceased  to  recline  in  her  carriage.  An  idea 
that  an  indolent  posture  fostered  vapourish  meditations, 
counselled  her  sitting  rigidly  upright  and  interestedly 
observing  the  cottagers  and  merry  gutter-children  along 
the  squat  straight  streets  of  a  London  suburb.  Her 
dominant  ultimate  thought  was,  "I,  too,  can  work!" 
Like  her  courage,  the  plea  of  a  capacity  to  work  ap- 
pealed for  confirmation  to  the  belief  which  exists  with- 
out demonstrated  example;  and  as  she  refrained  from 
probing  to  the  inner  sources  of  that  mental  outcry,  it 
was  allowed  to  stand  and  reign  among  the  convictions 
we  store  —  wherewith  to  shape  our  destinies. 

Childishly  indeed,  quite  witlessly,  she  fell  into  a  trick 
of  repeating  the  name  of  Matthew  Weyburn  in  her 
breast  and  on  her  lips,  after  the  manner  of  Isabella 
Finchley  Lawrence,  when  she  had  inquired  for  his 
Christian  name  and  went  on  murmuring  it,  as  if  sucking 
a  new  bonbon,  with  the  remark:  "It  sounds  nice,  it 
suits  the  mouth."  Little  Selina  Collett  had  told,  Aminta 
remembered,  how  those  funny  boys  at  Cuper's  could  not 
at  first  get  the  name  "  Aminta  "  to  suit  the  mouth,  but 
went  about  making  hideous  faces  in  uttering  it.  She 
smiled  at  the  recollection,  and  thought,  up  to  a  move- 
ment of  her  lips,  one  is  not  tempted  to  do  that  in  saying 
Matthew  Weyburn! 


A   SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT  ANGLING  227 

CHAPTER  XV 

SHOWING   A    SECRET    FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING 

That  great  couchant  dragon  of  the  devouring  jaws 
and  the  withering  breath,  known  as  our  London  world, 
was  in  expectation  of  an  excitement  above  yawns  on 
the  subject  of  a  beautiful  Lady  Doubtful  proposing 
herself,  through  a  group  of  infatuated  influential 
friends,  to  a  decorous  court,  as  one  among  the  ladies 
acceptable.  The  popular  version  of  it  sharpened  the 
sauce  by  mingling  romance  and  cynicism  very  happily; 
for  the  numerous  cooks,  when  out  of  the  kitchen,  will 
furnish  a  piquant  dish.  Thus,  a  jewel-eyed  girl  of 
half  English  origin  (a  wounded  British  officer  is  amia- 
bly nursed  in  a  castle  near  the  famous  Peninsular 
battlefield,  etc.),  running  wild  down  the  streets  of 
Seville,  is  picked  up  by  Lord  Ormont,  made  to  dis- 
card her  tambourine,  brought  over  to  our  shores,  and 
allowed  the  decoration  of  his  name,  without  the  legiti- 
mate adornment  of  his  title.  Discontented  with  her 
position  after  a  time,  she  now  pushes  boldly  to  claim 
the  place  which  will  be  most  effective  in  serving  her 
as  a  bath.  She  has,  by  general  consent,  beauty;  she 
must,  seeing  that  she  counts  influential  friends,  have 
witchery.  Those  who  have  seen  her  riding  and  driv- 
ing beside  her  lord,  speak  of  Andalusian  grace.  Oriental 


228  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

lustre,  fit  qualifications  for  the  fair  slave  of  a  notori- 
ously susceptible  old  warrior. 

She  won  a  party  in  the  widening  gossip  world;  and 
enough  of  a  party  in  the  regent  world  to  make  a  stream. 
Pretending  to  be  the  actual  Countess  of  Ormont,  though 
not  publicly  acknowledged  as  his  countess  by  the  earl, 
she  had  on  her  side  the  strenuous  few  who  knew  and 
liked  her,  some  who  were  pleased  compassionately  to 
patronise,  all  idle  admirers  of  a  shadowed  beautiful 
woman  at  bay,  the  devotees  of  any  beauty  in  distress, 
and  such  as  had  seen,  such  as  imagined  they  had 
seen,  such  as  could  paint  a  mental  picture  of  a  lady 
of  imposing  stature,  persuasive  appearance,  pathetic 
history,  and  pronounce  her  to  be  unjustly  treated, 
with  a  general  belief  that  she  was  visible  and  breath- 
ing. She  had  the  ready  enthusiasts,  the  responsive 
sentimentalists,  and  an  honest  active  minor  number, 
of  whom  not  every  one  could  be  declared  perfectly 
unspotted  in  public  estimation,  however  innocent  under 
verdict  of  the  courts  of  law. 

Against  her  was  the  livid  cloud-bank  over  a  flowery 
field,  that  has  not  yet  spoken  audible  thunder:  the  ter- 
rible aggregate  social  woman,  of  man's  creation,  hated 
by  him,  dreaded,  scorned,  satirised,  and,  nevertheless, 
upheld,  esteemed,  applauded:  a  mark  of  civilisation,  on 
to  which  our  human  society  must  hold  as  long  as  we 
have  notliing  humaner.  She  exhibits  virtue,  with  face 
of  waxen  angel,  Avith  paw  of  desert  beast,  and  blood  of 


A  SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING  229 

victims  on  it.  Her  fold  is  a  genial  climate,  and  the 
material  pleasures  for  the  world's  sheepy :  worshipping 
herself,  she  claims  the  sanctification  of  a  performed 
religion.  She  is  gentle  when  unassailed,  going  her 
way  serenely,  with  her  malady  in  the  blood.  When 
the  skin  bears  witness  to  it,  she  swallows  an  apothe- 
cary, and  there  is  a  short  convulsion.  She  is  refreshed 
by  cutting  off  diseased  inferior  members:  the  superior 
betraying  foul  symptoms,  she  covers  up  and  retains; 
rationally,  too,  for  they  minister  to  her  present  exist- 
ence, and  she  lives  all  in  the  present.  Her  subjects 
are  the  mixed  subservient;  among  her  rebellious  are 
earth's  advanced,  who  have  a  cold  morning  on  their 
foreheads,  and  these  would  not  dethrone  her,  they 
would  but  shame  and  purify  by  other  methods  than 
the  druggist.  She  loves  nothing.  Undoubtedly,  she 
dislikes  the  vicious.     On  that  merit  she  subsists. 

The  vexatious  thing  in  speaking  of  her  is,  that  she 
compels  to  the  use  of  the  rhetorician's  brass  instru- 
ment. As  she  is  one  of  the  Powers  giving  life  and 
death,  one  may  be  excused.  This  tremendous  queen 
of  the  congregation  has  brought  discredit  on  her  sex 
for  the  scourge  laid  on  quivering  female  flesh,  and 
for  the  flippant  indifference  shown  to  misery  and  to 
fine  distinctions  between  right  and  wrong,  good  and 
bad;  and  particularly  for  her  undiscriminating  hard- 
ness upon  the  starved  of  women.  We  forget  her  hav- 
ing been   conceived    in    the   fear   of    men,    shaped    to 


230  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

gratify  them.  She  is  their  fiction  of  the  state  they 
would  fain  beguile  themselves  to  suppose  her  sex  has 
reached,  for  their  benefit;  where  she  may  queen  it  in 
a  corner,  certain  of  a  loyal  support,  if  she  will  only 
give  men  her  half-the-world's  assistance  to  uplift  the 
fabric  comfortable  to  them;  together  with  assurance  of 
paternity,  ease  of  mind  in  absence,  exclusive  posses- 
sion, enormous  and  minutest,  etc. ;  not  by  any  means 
omitting  a  regimental  orderliness,  from  which  men  are 
privately  exempt,  because  they  are  men,  or  because 
they  are  grown  boys — 'the  brisker  at  lessons  after  a 
vacation  or  a  truancy,  says  the  fiction. 

In  those  days  the  world  had  oscillated,  under  higher 
leading  than  its  royal  laxity,  to  rigidity.  Tiny  pec- 
cadilloes were  no  longer  matter  for  jest,  and  the  sinner 
exposed  stood  sola  to  receive  the  brand.  A  beautiful 
Lady  Doubtful  needed  her  husband's  countenance  if 
she  was  to  take  one  of  the  permanent  steps  in  public 
places.  The  party  of  Lady  Charlotte  Eglett  called  on 
the  livid  cloud-bank  aforesaid  to  discharge  celestial 
bolts  and  sulphur  on  the  head  of  an  impudent  under- 
bred ambitious  young  slut,  whose  arts  had  bewitched 
a  distinguished  nobleman  not  young  in  years  at  least, 
and  ensnared  the  remainder  wits  of  some  principal 
ancient  ladies  of  the  land.  Professional  Puritans,  born 
conservatives,  malicious  tattlers,  made  up  a  goodly  tail 
to  Lady  Charlotte's  party.  The  epithet  underbred  was 
accredited  upon  the  quoted  sayings  and  doings  of  the 


A   SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING  231 

pretentious  young  person's  aunt,  repeated  abroad  by 
noblemen  and  gentlemen  present  when  she  committed 
herself;  and  the  same  were  absurd.  They  carried  a 
laugh,  so  they  lived  and  circulated.  Lord  Ormont  sub- 
mitted to  the  infliction  of  that  horrid  female  in  his 
household!  It  was  no  wonder  he  stopped  short  of 
allying  himself  with  the  family. 

Nor  was  it  a  wonder  that  the  naturally  enamoured 
old  warrior  or  invalided  Mars  (for  she  had  the  gift  of 
beauty),  should  deem  it  prudent  to  be  out  of  England 
when  she  and  her  crazy  friends  determined  on  the  auda- 
cious move.  Or  put  it  the  other  way  —  for  it  is  just  as 
confounding  right  side  or  left  —  she  and  her  friends  take 
advantage  of  his  absence  to  make  the  clever  push  for  an 
establishment,  and  socially  force  him  to  legalise  their 
union  on  his  return.  The  deeds  of  the  preceding  reign 
had  bequeathed  a  sort  of  legendary  credence  to  the  Avild- 
est  tales  gossip  could  invent  under  a  demurrer. 

But  there  was  the  fact,  the  earl  was  away.  Lady 
Charlotte's  party  buzzed  everywhere.  Her  ladyship 
had  come  to  town  to  head  it.  Her  ladyship  laid 
trains  of  powder  from  dinner-parties,  balls,  routs, 
park-processions,  into  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  ear, 
and  fired  and  exploded  them,  deafening  the  grand 
official.  Do  you  consider  that  virulent  Pagan  God- 
desses and  the  flying  toreh-furies  are  extinct?  Error 
of  Christians!  We  have  relinquished  the  old  names 
and  have  no  new  ones  for  them ;    but  they  are  here, 


o 


232  LORD  ORMONT  AND  HIS   AMINTA 

inextinguishable,  threading  the  day  and  night  air  with 
their  dire  squib-trail,  if  we  would  but  see.  Hissing 
they  go,  and  we  do  not  hear.     We  feel  the  effects. 

Upon  the  counsel  of  Mrs.  Lawrence,  Aminta  sent  a 
letter  to  Lord  Orniont  at  his  hotel  in  Paris,  informing 
him  of  the  position  of  affairs.  He  had  delayed  his 
return,  and  there  had  been  none  of  his  brief  communi- 
cations. 

She  wrote,  as  she  knew,  as  she  felt,  coldly.  She  was 
guided  by  others,  and  her  name  was  up  before  the 
world,  owing  to  some  half-remembered  impulsion  of 
past  wishes,  but  her  heart  was  numbed;  she  was  not 
fi  woman  to  have  a  wish  without  a  beat  of  the  heart 
in  it.  For  her  name  she  had  a  feeling,  to  be  likened 
rather  to  the  losing  gambler's  contemplation  of  a  big 
stake  he  has  flung,  and  sees  it  gone  while  fortune  is 
undecided;  and  he  catches  at  a  philosophy  nothing 
other  than  his  hug  of  a  modest  little  background  pleas- 
ure, that  he  has  always  preferred  to  this  accursed  bad 
habit  of  gambling  with  the  luck  against  him.  Reck- 
less in  the  cast,  she  was  reckless  of  success. 

Her  letter  was  unanswered. 

Then,  and  day  by  day  more  strongly,  she  felt  for  her 
name.  She  put  a  false  heart  into  it.  She  called  her- 
self to  her  hearing  the  Countess  of  Ormont,  and  deigned 
to  consult  the  most  foolish  friend  she  could  have  chosen 
—  her  aunt;  and  even  listened  to  her  advice,  that  she 
should  run  about  knocking  at  all  the  doors  open  to  her, 


A   SECRET   FISHED    WITHOUT    ANGLING  233 

and  state  her  case  against  the  earl.  It  seemed  the  course 
to  take,  the  moment  for  taking  it.  Was  she  not  asked 
if  she  could  now  at  last  show  she  had  pride?  Her  pride 
ran  stinging  through  her  veins,  like  a  band  of  freed  pris- 
oners who  head  the  rout  to  fire  a  city.  She  charged  her 
lord  with  having  designedly — oh!  cunningly  indeed  — 
left  her  to  be  the  prey  of  her  enemies  at  the  hour 
when  he  knew  it  behoved  him  to  be  her  great  de- 
fender. There  had  been  no  disguise  of  the  things  in 
progress:  they  had  been  spoken  of  allusively,  quite 
comprehensibly,  after  the  fashion  common  with  two 
entertaining  a  secret  semi-hostility  on  a  particular  sub- 
ject; one  of  them  being  the  creature  that  blushes  and 
is  educated  to  be  delicate,  reserved,  and  timorous.  He 
was  not  ignorant,  and  he  had  left  her,  and  he  would  not 
reply  to  her  letter! 

So  fell  was  her  mood,  that  an  endeavour  to  conjure  up 
the  scene  of  her  sitting  beside  the  deathbed  of  Matthew 
Weyburn's  mother,  failed  to  sober  and  smooth  it,  holy 
though  that  time  was.  The  false  heart  she  had  put 
into  the  pride  of  her  name  was  powerfuller  than  the 
heart  in  her  bosom.  But  to  what  end  had  the  true 
heart  counselled  her  of  late!  It  had  been  a  home  of 
humours  and  languors,  an  impotent  insurgent,  the 
sapper  of  her  character;  and  as  we  see  in  certain 
disorderly  States  a  curative  incendiarism  usurp  the 
functions  of  the  sluggish  citizen,  and  the  work  of  re- 
establishment  done  by  destruction,   in  peril  of   a  total 


234  LORD   ORMOlslT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

extinction,  Aminta's  feverish  anger  on  behalf  of  her 
name  went  a  stretch  to  vivify  and  give  her  dulled  char- 
acter a  novel  edge.  She  said  goodbye  to  cowardice.  "  I 
have  no  husband  to  defend  me  —  I  must  do  it  for  my- 
self." The  peril  of  a  too  complete  exercise  of  independ- 
ence was  just  intimated  to  her  perceptions.  On  whom 
the  blame?  And  let  the  motively  guilty  go  mourn  over 
consequences!  That  Institution  of  Marriage  was  eyed. 
Is  it  not  a  halting  step  to  happiness?  It  is  the  step  of 
a  cripple ;  and  one  leg  or  the  other  poses  for  the  feebler, 
sex, —  small  is  the  matter  which!  And  is  happiness 
our  cry?  Our  cry  is  rather  for  circumstance  and  occa- 
sion to  use  our  functions,  and  the  conditions  are  denied 
to  women*  by  Marriage  —  denied  to  the  luckless  of 
women,  who  are  many,  very  many:  denied  to  Aminta, 
calling  herself  Countess  of  Ormont,  for  one;  denied  to 
Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley  for  another,  and  in  a  base  bad 
manner.  She  had  defended  her  good  name  triumphantly, 
only  to  enslave  herself  for  life  or  snatch  at  the  liberty 
which  besmirches. 

Eeviewing  Mrs.  Lawrence,  Aminta's  real  heart  pressed 
forward  at  the  beat,  in  tender  pity  of  the  woman  for 
whom  a  yielding  to  love  was  to  sin;  and  unwomanly  is 
the  woman  who  does  not  love :  men  will  say  it!  Aminta 
found  herself  phrasing,  "  Why  was  she  unable  to  love  her 
husband?  —  he  is  not  old."  She  hurried  in  flight  from 
the  remark  to  confidences  imparted  by  other  ladies,^J 
showing  strange  veins  in  an  earthy  world;  after  whichj^B 


A   SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING  235 

her  mind  was  bent  to  rebuke  Mrs.  Pagnell  for  the  silly 
soul's  perpetual  allusions  to  Lord  Ormont's  age.  She 
did  not  think  of  his  age.  But  she  was  vividly  thinking 
that  she  was  young.  Young,  married,  loveless,  cramped 
in  her  energies,  publicly  dishonoured  —  a  Lady  Doubtful, 
courting  one  friend  whom  she  liked  among  women,  one 
friend  whom  she  respected  among  men;  that  was  the 
sketch  of  her. 

That  was  in  truth  the  outline,  as  much  as  Aminta 
dared  sketch  of  herself  without  dragging  her  down 
lower  than  her  trained  instinct  would  bear  to  look.  Our 
civilisation  shuns  nature ;  and  most  shuns  it  in  the  most 
artificially  civilised,  to  suit  the  market.  They,  how- 
ever, are  always  close  to  their  mother  nature,  beneath 
their  second  nature's  mask  of  custom;  and  Aminta's 
unconscious  concluding  touch  to  the  sketch :  "  My  hus- 
band might  have  helped  me  to  a  footing  in  Society," 
woidd  complete  it  as  a  coloured  picture,  if  writ  in  tones. 

She  said  it,  and  for  the  footing  in  Society  she  had  lost 
her  taste. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  brought  the  final  word  from  high  quar- 
ters: that  the  application  must  be  deferred  until  Lord 
Ormont  returned  to  town.  It  was  known  before,  that 
such  would  be  the  decision.  She  had  it  from  the  emi- 
nent official  himself,  and  she  kicked  about  the  room, 
setting  her  pretty  mouth  and  nose  to  pout  and  sniff, 
exactly  like  a  boy  whose  chum  has  been  mishandled  by 
a  bully. 


236  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Your  dear  good  man  is  too  much  for  us.  I  thought 
we  should  drive  him.  C^est  un  ruse  homme  de  guerre. 
I  like  him,  but  I  could  slap  him.  He  stops  the  way. 
Upon  my  word,  he  seems  tolerably  careless  of  his  treas- 
ure. Does  he  suppose  Mrs.  Paggy  is  a  protection?  Do 
you  know  she's  devoted  to  that  man  Morsfield?  He  lis- 
tens to  her  stories.  To  judge  by  what  he  shouts  aloud, 
he  intends  carrying  you  off  the  first  opportunity,  divorc- 
ing, and  installing  you  in  Cobeck  Hall.  All  he  fears  is, 
that  your  lord  won't  divorce.  You  should  have  seen 
him  the  other  day;  he  marched  up  and  down  the  room, 
smacking  his  head  and  crying  out :  '  Legal  measures  or 
any  weapons  her  husband  pleases ! '  For  he  has  come 
to  believe  that  the  lady  would  have  been  off  with  him 
long  before,  if  her  lord  had  no  claim  to  the  marital  title. 
*  It's  that  husband  I  can't  get  over!  that  husband! '  He 
reminded  me,  to  the  life,  of  Lawrence  Finchley  with  a 
headache  the  morning  after  a  supper,  striding,  with  his 
hand  on  the  shining  middle  of  his  head:  'It's  that 
Welsh  rabbit !  that  Welsh  rabbit ! '  He  has  a  poor 
digestion,  and  he  will  eat  cheese.  The  Welsh  rabbit 
chased  him  into  his  bed.  But  listen  to  me,  dear,  about 
your  Morsfield.     I  told  you  he  was  dangerous." 

"He  is  not  my  Morsfield,"  said  Aminta. 

"Beware  of  his  having  a  tool  in  Paggy.     He  boasts 
of  letters." 

"Mine?    Two;    and  written  to  request  him  to  cease 
writing  to  me." 


I 


A  SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING  237 

"He  stops  at  nothing.  And,  oh,  my  blessed  Simplic- 
ity! don't  you  see  you  gave  him  a  step  in  begging  him 
to  retire?  Morsfield  has  lived  a  good  deal  among  our 
neighbours,  who  expound  the  physiology  of  women. 
He  anatomises  us;  pulls  us  to  pieces,  puts  us  together, 
and  then  animates  us  with  a  breath  of  his  'passion'  — 
sincere  upon  every  occasion,  I  don't  doubt.  He  spared 
me,  although  he  saw  I  was  engaged.  Perhaps  it  was 
because  I'm  of  no  definite  colour.  Or  he  thought  I  was 
not  a  receptacle  for  'passion.'  And  quite  true, —  Adder, 
the  dear  good  fellow,  has  none.  Or  where  should  we 
be?  On  a  Swiss  Alp,  in  a  chalet,  he  shooting  chamois, 
and  I  milking  cows,  with  ah-ahio,  ah-ahio,  all  day  long, 
and  a  quarrel  at  night  over  curds  and  whey.  Well,  and 
that's  a  better  old  pensioner's  limp  to  his  end  for  'pas- 
sion '  than  the  foreign  hotel  bell  rung  mightily,  and  one 
of  the  two  discovered  with  a  dagger  in  the  breast,  and 
the  other  a  donH-looh  lying  on  the  pavement  under  the 
window.  Yes,  and  that's  better  than  'passion  '  splitting 
and  dispersing  upon  new  adventures,  from  habit,  with 
two  sparks  remaining  of  the  fire." 

Aminta  took  Mrs.  Lawrence's  hands.  Is  it  a  lecture?  " 
She  was  kissed.  "  Frothy  gabble.  I'm  really  near  to 
'passion  '  when  I  embrace  you.  You're  the  only  one  I 
could  run  away  with;  live  with  all  alone,  I  believe.  I 
wonder  men  can  see  you  while  that  silly  lord  of  yours 
is  absent,  and  not  begin  Morsfielding.  They're  virtu- 
ous if  they  resist.     Paggy  tells  the  world  .   .   .  well?" 


238  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

Aminta  had  reddened.  "  What  does  my  aunt  tell  the 
world?" 

Mrs.  Lawrence  laid  her  smoothing  hand  absently  on  a 
frill  of  lace  fichu  above  a  sternly  disciplined  bosom  at 
half -heave.  "  I  think  I  can  judge  now  that  you're  not 
much  hurt  by  this  wretched  business  of  the  presentation. 
The  little  service  I  could  do  was  a  moral  lesson  to  me 
on  the  subject  of  deuce-may-care  antecedents.  My 
brother  Tom,  too,  was  always  playing  truant,  as  a  boy. 
It's  in  the  blood." 

She  seemed  to  be  teasing,  and  Aminta  cried:  "My 
aunt!     Let  me  hear.     She  tells  the  world ?  " 

"Paggy?  ah,  yes.  Only  that  she  says  the  countess 
has  an  exalted  opinion  of  Mr.  Secretary's  handwriting 
—  as  witnessed  by  his  fair  copy  of  the  Memoirs,  of 
course." 

"Poor  woman!  How  can  she  talk  such  foolishness! 
I  guessed  it." 

"  You  wear  a  dark  red  rose  when  you're  guessing,  ma 
mie,  — French  for  my  Aminta." 

''But  consider,  Isabella,  Mr.  Weyburn  has  just  had 
the  heaviest  of  losses.  My  aunt  should  spare  mention 
of  him." 

" Matthew  Wey burn !  we  both  like  the  name."  Mrs. 
Lawrence  touched  at  her  friend  and  gazed.  "  I've  seen 
it  on  certain  evenings  —  crimson  over  an  olive  sky. 
What  it  forebodes,  I  can't  imagine;  but  it's  the  end  of 
a  lovely  day.  They  say  it  threatens  rain,  if  it  begins 
one.     It's  an  ominous  herald." 


1 


A   SECBET  FISHED   WITHOUT   ANGLING  239 

"You  make  me,"  said  Aminta.  "I  must  redden  if 
you  keep  looking  at  me  so  closely." 

"  Now  frown  one  little  bit,  please.  I  love  to  see  you. 
I  love  to  see  a  secret  disclose  itself  ingenuously." 

"But  what  secret,  my  dear?"  cried  Aminta's  defence 
of  her  innocence;  and  she  gave  a  short  frown. 

"  Have  no  fear.  Mr.  Secretary  is  not  the  man  to  be 
Morsfielding.  And  he  can  enjoy  his  repast;  a  very 
good  sign.     But  is  he  remaining  long?  " 

"He  is  going  soon,  I  hear." 

"He's  a  good  boy.  I  could  have  taken  to  him  myself, 
and  not  dreaded  a  worrying.  There's  this  difference 
between  you  and  me,  though,  ray  Aminta;  one  of  us  has 
the  fireplace  prepared  for  what's-his-name — 'passion.' 
Kiss  me.  How  could  you  fancy  you  were  going  to  have 
a  woman  for  your  friend  and  keep  hidden  from  her  any 
one  of  the  secrets  that  blush !  and  with  Paggy  to  aid !  I 
am  sure  it  means  very  little.  Admiration  for  good 
handwriting  is "  a  smile  broke  the  sentence. 

"You're  astray,  Isabella." 

"Not  I,  dear,  I'm  too  fond  of  you." 

"You  read  what  is  not." 

"What  is  not  yet  written,  you  mean." 

"What  never  could  be  written." 

"I  read  what  is  in  the  blood,  and  comes  out  to  me 
when  I  look.  That  lord  of  yours  should  take  to  study 
you  as  I  have  done  ever  since  I  fell  in  love  with  you. 
He's  not  counselling  himself  well  in  keeping  away." 


240  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Now  you  speak  wisely,"  said  Aminta. 

"  Not  a  particle  more  wisely.  And  the  reason  is  close 
at  hand  — -^see.  You  are  young,  you  attract  —  how  could 
it  be  otherwise?  and  you  have  'passion'  sleeping,  and 
likely  to  wake  with  a  spring  whether  roused  or  not. 
In  my  observation  goodman  t'other  fellow  —  the  poet's 
friend  —  is  never  long  absent  when  the  time  is  ripe  — 
at  least,  not  in  places  where  we  gather  together.  Well, 
one  is  a  buckler  against  the  other :  I  don't  say  with  lovely 
Amy  May, —  with  an  honourable  woman.  But  Aminta 
can  smell  powder  and  grow  more  mettlesome.  Who  can 
look  at  you  and  be  blind  to  passion  sleeping!  The  sight 
of  you  makes  me  dream  of  it  —  me,  a  woman,  cool  as  a 
wine-cellar  or  a  well.  So  there's  to  help  you  to  know 
yourself  and  be  on  your  guard.  I  know  I'm  not  de- 
ceived, because  I've  fallen  in  love  with  you,  and  no  love 
can  be  without  jealousy,  so  I  have  the  needle  in  my 
breast,  that  points  at  any  one  who  holds  a  bit  of  you. 
Kind  of  sympathetic  needle  to  the  magnet  behind  any- 
thing. You'll  know  it,  if  you  don't  now.  I  should 
have  felt  the  thing  without  the  aid  of  Paggy.  So,  then 
imagine  all  my  nonsense  unsaid,  and  squeeze  a  drop  or 
two  of  sirop  cle  hon  conseil  out  of  it,  as  if  it  were  your 
own  wise  meditation." 

The  rest  of  Mrs.  Lawrence's  discourse  was  a  swallow's 
wing  skimming  the  city  stream.  She  departed,  and 
Aminta  was  left  to  beat  at  her  heart  and  ask  whether  it 
had  a  secret. 


A  SECRET   FISHED   WITHOUT  ANGLING  241 

But  if  there  was  one,  the  secret  was  out,  and  must  have 
another  name.  It  had  been  a  secret  for  her  until  she 
heard  her  friend  speak  those  pin-points  that  pricked 
her  heart  and  sent  the  blood  coursing  over  her  face,  like 
a  betrayal,  so  like  as  to  resemble  a  burning  confession. 

But  if  this  confessed  the  truth,  she  was  the  insanest 
of  women.  No  woman  could  be  surer  that  she  had  her 
wits.  She  had  come  to  see  things,  previously  mysteries, 
with  surprising  clearness.  As,  for  example,  that  pas- 
sion was  part  of  her  nature;  therefore  her  very  life, 
lying  tranced.  She  certainly  could  not  love  without  pas- 
sion :  such  an  abandonment  was  the  sole  justification  of 
love  in  a  woman  standing  where  she  stood.  And  now 
for  the  first  time  she  saw  her  exact  position  before  the 
world;  and  she  saw  some  Avay  into  her  lord:  saw  that 
he  nursed  a  wound,  extracted  balm  from  anything  ena- 
bling him  to  show  the  world  how  he  despised  it,  and 
undesigningly  immolated  her  for  the  petty  gratification. 

It  could  not,  in  consequence,  be  the  truth.  She  was 
passionless.  Once  it  was  absolutely  true.  She  swam 
away  to  the  golden-circled  Island  of  Once;  landed,  and 
dwelt  there  solitarily  and  blissfully,  looking  forward  to 
Sunday's  walk  round  the  park,  looking  back  on  it. 
Proudly  she  could  tell  herself  that  her  dreams  of  the 
Prince  of  the  Island  had  not  been  illusions  as  far  as  he 
was  concerned;  for  he  had  a  great  soul.  He  did  not 
aim  at  a  tawdry  glory.  He  was  a  loss  to  our  army  —  no 
loss  to  his  country  or  the  world.     A  woman  might  clasp 


242  LORD   ORMONT  AND  HIS   AMINTA 

lier  feeling  of  pride  in  having  foreseen  distinction  for 
liim;  and  a  little,  too,  in  distinguishing  now  the  true 
individual  distinction  from  the  feathered  uniform  vul- 
gar. Where  the  girl's  dreams  had  proved  illusions,  she 
beheld  in  a  title  and  luxuries,  in  a  loveless  marriage. 

That  was  perilous  ground.  Still  it  taught  her  to  see 
that  the  substantial  is  the  dust;  and  passion  not  being 
active,  she  could  reflect.  After  a  series  of  penetra- 
tive flashes,  flattering  to  her  intelligence  the  more  start- 
ling they  were,  reflection  Avas  exhausted.  She  sank  on 
her  nature's  desire  to  join  or  witness  agonistic  incidents, 
shocks,  wrestlings,  the  adventures  which  are  brilliant 
air  to  sanguine  energies.  Imagination  shot  up,  and 
whirled  the  circle  of  a  succession  of  them ;  and  she  had 
a  companion  and  leader,  unfeatured,  reverently  obeyed, 
accepted  as  not  to  be  known,  not  to  be  guessed  at,  in 
the  deepest  hooded  inmost  of  her  being  speechlessly 
divined. 

The  sudden  result  of  Aminta's  turmoil  was  a  deter- 
mination that  she  must  look  on  Steignton.  And  what 
was  to  be  gained  by  that?  She  had  no  idea.  And  how 
had  she  stopped  her  imaginative  flight  with  the  thought 
of  looking  on  Steignton?  All  she  could  tell  was,  that  it 
would  close  a  volume.  She  could  not  say  why  the  vol- 
ume must  be  closed. 

Her  orders  for  the  journey  down  to  Steignton  were 
prompt.  Mrs.  Pagnell  had  an  engagement  at  the  house 
of  Lady  Staines  for  the  next  day  to  meet  titles  and  celeb- 


A   SECRET   FISHED   WlTHOtrt   ANGLING  243 

rities,  and  it  precluded  her  comprehension  of  the  project. 
She  begged  to  have  the  journey  postponed.  She  had 
pledged  her  word,  she  said. 

"To  Mr.  Morsfield?"  said  Aminta. 

Her  aunt  was  astounded. 

"  I  did  tell  him  we  should  be  there,  my  dear." 

"He  appears  to  have  a  pleasure  in  meeting  you." 

"He  is  one  of  the  real  gentlemen  of  the  land." 

"You  correspond  with  him?" 

"I  may  not  be  the  only  one." 

"  Foolish  aunt)^ !  How  can  you  speak  to  me  in  that 
senseless  way?"  cried  Aminta.  "  You  know  the  schemer 
he  is,  and  that  I  have  no  protection  from  his  advances 
unless  I  run  the  risk  of  bloodshed." 

"My  dear  Aminta,  whenever  I  go  into  society,  and  he 
is  present,  I  know  I  shall  not  be  laughed  at,  or  fall  into 
that  pit  of  one  of  their  dead  silences,  worse  for  me  to 
bear  than  titters  and  faces.  It  is  their  way  of  letting 
one  feel  they  are  of  birth  above  us.  Mr.  Morsfield  — 
purer  blood  than  many  of  their  highest  titles  —  is  always 
polite,  always  deferential;  he  helps  me  to  feel  I  am  not 
quite  out  of  my  element  in  the  sphere  I  prefer.  We 
shall  be  travelling  alone?" 

"Have  you  any  fear?" 

"  Not  if  nothing  happens.  Might  we  not  ask  that  Mr. 
Weyburn?  " 

"  He  has  much  work  to  do.  He  will  not  long  be  here. 
He  is  absent  to-day." 


244  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Mrs.  Pagnell  remarked:  "I  must  say  he  earns  his 
money  easily." 

Aminta  had  softened  herself  with  the  allusion  to  the 
shortness  of  his  time  with  them.  Her  aunt's  coarse 
hint,  and  the  thought  of  his  loss,  and  the  banishment  it 
would  be  to  her  all  the  way  to  Steignton,  checked  a  sharp 
retort  she  could  have  uttered,  but  made  it  necessary  to 
hide  her  eyes  from  sight.  She  went  to  her  bedroom, 
and  flung  herself  on  the  bed.  Even  so  little  as  an  un- 
spoken defence  of  him  shook  her  to  floods  of  tears. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

ALONG   TWO    ROADS    TO    STEIGNTON 

Unaccountable  resolutions,  if  impromptu  and  spring- 
ing from  the  female  breast,  are  popularly  taken  for 
caprices ;  and  even  when  they  divert  the  current  of  a 
history,  and  all  the  more  when  they  are  very  small  mat- 
ters producing  a  memorable  crisis.  In  this  way  does  a 
lazy  world  consign  discussion  to  silence  with  the  cynical 
closure.  Man's  hoary  shrug  at  a  whimsy  sex  is  the 
reading  of  his  enigma  still. 

But  ask  if  she  has  the  ordinary  pumping  heart  in  that 
riddle  of  a  breast ;  and  then,  as  tlie  organ  cannot  avoid 
pursuit,  we  may  get  hold  of  it,  and  succeed  in  spelling 
out  that  she  is  consequent,   in  her  fashion.     She  is  a 


ALONG  TWO   ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  245 

creature  of  the  apparent  moods  and  shifts  and  tempers 
only  because  she  is  kept  in  narrow  confines,  resembling, 
if  you  like,  a  wild  cat  caged.  Aminta's  journey  down 
to  Steignton  turned  the  course  of  other  fortunes  besides 
her  own  ;  and  she  disdained  the  minor  adventure  it  was, 
while  dreaming  it  important ;  and  she  determined  eagerly 
on  going,  without  wanting  to  go ;  and  it  was  neither 
from  a  sense  of  duty  nor  in  a  spirit  of  contrariety  that 
she  went.  Nevertheless,  with  her  heart  in  hand,  her 
movements  are  traceably  as  rational  as  a  soldier's  before 
the  enemy  or  a  trader's  matching  his  customer. 

The  wish  to  look  on  Steignton  had  been  spoken  or 
sighed  for  during  long  years  between  Aminta  and  her 
aunt,  until  finally  shame  and  anger  clinched  the  subject. 
To  look  on  Steignton  for  once  was  now  Aminta's  phras- 
ing of  her  sudden  resolve  ;  it  appeared  as  a  holiday  relief 
from  recent  worries,  and  it  was  an  expedition  with  an 
aim,  though  she  had  but  the  'coldest  curiosity  to  see  the 
place,  and  felt  alien  to  it.  Yet  the  thought,  never  to 
have  seen  Steignton !  roused  phantoms  of  dead  wishes 
to  drive  the  strange  engine  she  was,  faster  than  the 
living  would  have  done.  Her  reason  for  haste  was 
rationally  founded  on  the  suddenness  of  her  resolve, 
which,  seeing  that  she  could  not  say  she  desired  to  go, 
seemed  to  come  of  an  external  admonition ;  and  it  coun- 
selled quick  movements,  lest  her  inspired  obedience  to 
the  prompting  should  as  abruptly  breathe  itself  out. 
"  And  in  that  case  I  shall  never  have  seen  Steignton  at 


246  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

all,"  she  said,  with  perfect  calmness,  and  did  not  attempt 
to  sound  her  meaning. 

She  did  know  that  she  was  a  magazine  of  a  great  stor- 
age of  powder.  It  banked  inoffensively  dry.  She  had 
forgiven  her  lord,  owning  the  real  nobleman  he  was  in 
courtesy  to  women,  whom  his  inherited  ideas  of  them 
so  quaintly  minimised  and  reduced  to  pretty  insect  or 
tricky  reptile.  They,  too,  had  the  choice  of  being  ulti- 
mately the  one  or  the  other  in  fact;  the  latter  most 
likely. 

If,  however,  she  had  forgiven  her  lord,  the  shattering 
of  their  union  was  the  cost  of  forgiveness.  In  letting 
him  stand  high,  as  the  lofty  man  she  had  originally  wor- 
shipped, she  separated  herself  from  him,  to  feel  that  the 
humble  she  was  of  a  different  element,  as  a  running 
water  at  a  mountain's  base.  They  are  one  in  the  land- 
scape :  they  are  far  from  one  in  reality.  Aminta's  pride 
of  being  chafed  at  the  yoke  of  marriage. 

Her  aunt  was  directed  to  prepare  for  a  start  at  an 
early  hour  the  next  morning.  Mrs.  Pagnell  wrote  at 
her  desk,  and  fussed,  and  ordered  the  posting-chariot, 
and  bewailed  herself  submissively ;  for  it  was  the 
Countess  of  Ormont  speaking  when  Aminta  delivered 
commands,  and  the  only  grievance  she  dared  to  mutter 
was  *'the  unexpectedness."  Her  letters  having  been 
despatched,  she  was  amazed  in  the  late  evening  to  hear 
Aminta  give  the  footman  orders  for  the  chariot  to  be 
ready  at  the  door   an   hour  earlier  than  the  hour  pre- 


ALONG   TWO   ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  247 

viously  appointed.  She  remonstrated.  Aminta  simply 
observed  that  it  would  cause  less  inconvenience  to  all 
parties.  A  suspicion  of  her  aunt's  proceedings  was  con- 
firmed by  the  good  woman's  flustered  state.  She  re- 
frained from  smiling. 

She  would  have  mustered  courage  to  invite  Matthew 
Weyburn  as  her  escort,  if  he  had  been  at  hand.  He  was 
attending  to  his  affairs  with  lawyers — mainly  with  his 
friend  Mr.  Abner.  She  studied  map  and  gazetteer  till 
late  into  the  night.  Giving  her  orders  to  the  postillion 
on  the  pavement  in  the  morning,  she  named  a  south- 
westerly direction  out  of  London,  and  after  entering  the 
chariot,  she  received  a  case  from  one  of  the  footmen. 

"  What  is  that,  my  dear  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Pagnell. 

Aminta  unlocked  and  laid  it  open.  A  pair  of  pistols 
met  Mrs.  Pagnell's  gaze. 

"  We  sha'n't  be  in  need  of  those  things  ? "  the  lady 
said  anxiously. 

"  One  never  knows,  on  the  road,  aunt." 

"  Loaded  ?     You  wouldn't  hesitate  to  fire,  I'm  sure." 

"At  Mr.  Morsfield  himself,  if  he  attempted  to  stop 
me." 

Mrs.  Pagnell  withdrew  into  her  astonishment,  and 
presently  asked,  in  a  tone  of  some  indignation :  "  Why 
did  you  mention  Mr.  Morsfield,  Aminta  ?  " 

"Did  you  not  write  to  him  yesterday  afternoon, 
aunt  ?  " 

"  You  read  the  addresses  on  my  letters  ! " 


248  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Did  you  not  supply  him  with  our  proposed  route 
and  the  time  for  starting  ?  " 

"  Pistols  ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Pagnell.  "  One  would 
fancy  you  think  we  are  in  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury,   Mr.  Morsfield  is  a  gentleman,  not  a  highwayman." 

"  He  gives  the  impression  of  his  being  a  madman." 

"  The  real  madman  is  your  wedded  husband,  Aminta, 
if  wedding  it  was  ! " 

It  was  too  surely  so,  in  Aminta's  mind.  She  tried,  by 
looking  out  of  the  window,  to  forget  her  companion. 
The  dulness  of  the  roads  and  streets  opening  away  to 
flat  fields  combined  with  the  postillion's  unvarying  jog 
to  sicken  her  thoughts  over  the  exile  from  London  she 
was  undergoing,  and  the  chance  that  Matthew  Weyburn 
might  call  at  a  vacant  house  next  day,  to  announce  his 
term  of  service  to  the  earl,  whom  he  had  said  he  much 
wanted  to  see.  He  said  it  in  his  sharp  manner  when 
there  was  decision  behind  it.  Several  times  after  con- 
templating the  end  of  her  journey  and  not  perceiving 
any  spot  of  pleasure  ahead,  an  emotion  urged  her  to  turn 
back ;  for  the  young  are  acutely  reasoning  when  their 
breasts  advise  them  to  quit  a  road  where  no  pleasure 
beckons. 

Unlike  Matthew  Weyburn,  the  tiptoe  sparkle  of  a 
happy  mind  did  not  leaj?  from  her  at  wayside  scenes :  a 
sweep  of  grass,  distant  hills,  clouds  in  flight.  She  re- 
quired, since  she  suffered,  the  positive  of  events  or  bless- 
ings to  kindle  her  glow. 


ALONG   TWO   ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  249 

Matthew  Weyburn  might  call  at  the  house.  Would  he 
be  disappointed  ?  He  had  preserved  her  letters  of  the 
old  schooldays.  She  had  burnt  his.  But  she  had  not 
burnt  the  letters  of  Mr.  Morsfield  ;  and  she  cared  nothing 
for  that  man.  Assuredly  she  merited  the  stigma  brand- 
ing women  as  crack-brained.  Yet  she  was  not  one  of 
the  fools ;  she  could  govern  a  household,  and  she  liked 
work,  she  had  the  capacity  for  devotedness.  So,  there- 
fore, she  was  a  woman  perverted  by  her  position,  and 
she  shook  her  bonds  in  revolt  from  marriage.  Imagining 
a  fall  down  some  suddenly  spied  chasm  of  her  nature, 
she  had  a  sisterly  feeling  for  the  women  named  sinful. 
At  the  same  time,  reflecting  that  they  are  sinful  only  with 
the  sinful,  she  knelt  thankfully  at  the  feet  of  the  man 
who  had  saved  her  from  such  danger.  Tears  threatened. 
They  were  a  poor  atonement  for  the  burning  of  his  young 
letters.  But  not  he  —  she  was  the  sufferer,  and  she 
whipped  up  a  sensation  of  wincing  at  the  flames  they  fell 
to,  and  at  their  void  of  existence,  committing  sentimental 
idiocies  worthy  of  a  lovesick  girl,  consciously  to  escape 
the  ominous  thought,  which  her  woman's  perception  had 
sown  in  her,  that  he,  too,  chafed  at  a  marriage  no  mar- 
riage :  was  true  in  fidelity,  not  true  through  infidelity,  as 
she  had  come  to  be.  The  thought  implied  misery 
for  both.  She  entered  a  black  desolation,  with  the 
prayer  that  he  might  not  be  involved,  for  his  own  sake : 
partly  also  on  behalf  of  the  sustaining  picture  the  young 
schoolmaster  at  his  task,  merry  among  his  dear  boys,  to 


250  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS  AMINTA 

trim  and  point  them,  body  and  mind,  for  their  business 
in  the  world,  painted  for  her  weariful  prospect  of  the  life 
she  must  henceforth  drag  along. 

Is  a  woman  of  the  plain  wits  common  to  numbers  ever 
deceived  in  her  perception  of  a  man's  feelings  for  her  ? 
Let  her  first  question  herself  whether  she  respects  him. 
If  she  does  not,  her  judgment  will  go  easily  astray,  intui- 
tion and  observation  are  equally  at  fault,  she  has  no  key ; 
he  has  charmed  her  blood,  that  is  all.  But  if  she  respects 
him,  she  cannot  be  deceived ;  respect  is  her  embrace  of  a 
man's  character.  Aminta's  vision  was  clear.  She  had 
therefore  to  juggle  with  the  fact  revealed,  that  she  might 
keep  her  heart  from  rushing  out ;  and  the  process  was  a 
disintegration  of  her  feminine  principle  of  docility  under 
the  world's  decrees.  At  each  pause  of  her  mental  activity 
she  was  hurled  against  the  state  of  marriage.  Compas- 
sion for  her  blameless  fellow  in  misery  brought  a  deluge 
to  sweep  away  all  institutions  and  landmarks. 

But  supposing  the  blest  worst  to  happen,  what  exchange 
had  she  to  bestow  ?  Her  beauty  ?  She  was  reputed 
beautiful.  It  had  made  a  madman  of  one  man ;  and  in 
her  poverty  of  endowments  to  be  generous  with,  she 
hovered  over  Mr.  Morsfield  like  a  cruel  vampire,  for  the 
certification  that  she  had  a  much-prized  gift  to  bestow 
upon  his  rival. 

But  supposing  it :  she  would  then  be  no  longer  in  the 
shiny  garden  of  the  flowers  of  wealth ;  and  how  little 
does  beauty  weigh  as  an  aid  to  an  active  worker  in  the 


ALONG  TWO   KOADS   TO   STEIGNTON  251 

serious  fighting  world !  She  would  be  a  kind  of  potted 
rosetree  under  his  arm,  of  which  he  must  eventually 
tire. 

A  very  cold  moment  came,  when  it  seemed  that  even 
the  above  supposition,  in  the  case  of  a  woman  who  has 
been  married,  is  shameful  to  her,  a  sin  against  her  lover, 
and  should  be  obliterated  under  floods  of  scarlet.  For, 
if  she  has  pride,  she  withers  to  think  of  pushing  the 
most  noble  of  men  upon  his  generosity.  And,  further,  if 
he  is  not  delicately  scrupulous,  is  there  not  something 
wanting  in  him  ?  The  very  cold  wave  passed,  leaving 
the  sentence :  better  dream  of  being  plain  friends. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  had  been  quietly  chewing  her  cud  of  the 
sullens,  as  was  the  way  with  her  after  a  snub.  She  now 
resumed  her  gossip  of  the  naughty  world  she  knelt  to 
and  expected  to  see  some  day  stricken  by  a  bolt  from 
overhead ;  containing,  as  it  did,  such  wicked  members  as 
that  really  indefensible  brazen  Mrs.  Amy  May,  who  was 
only  the  daughter  of  a  half-pay  naval  captain,  and  the 
Marquis  of  Colleston,  who  would,  they  say,  decorate  her 
with  his  title  to-morrow,  if  her  husband  were  but  some- 
where else.  She  spread  all  sorts  of  reports  about  Mr. 
Morsfield,  and  he  was  honour  itself  in  his  reserve  about 
her.  "  Depend  upon  it,  Aminta  —  he  was  not  more  than 
a  boy  then,  and  they  say  she  aimed  at  her  enfranchise- 
ment by  plotting  the  collision,  for  his  Yorkshire  reve- 
nues are  immense,  and  he  is,  you  know,  skilful  in  the 
use  of  arms,  and  Captain  May  has  no  resources  whatever : 


252  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

penury  !  no  one  cares  to  speculate  how  they  contrive  !  — 
but  while  that  dreadful  duelling  —  and  my  lord  as  bad 
as  any  in  his  day  —  exists,  depend  upon  it,  an  unscrupu- 
lous good-looking  woman  has  as  many  lives  for  her  look 
of  an  eye  or  lift  of  a  finger  as  a  throned  Ottoman  Turk 
on  his  divan." 

Aminta  wished  to  dream.  She  gave  her  aunt  a  second 
dose,  and  the  lady  relapsed  again. 

Power  to  dream  had  gone.  She  set  herself  to  look  at 
roadside  things,  cottage  gardens,  old  housewives  in  door- 
ways, gaffer  goodman  meeting  his  crony  on  the  path, 
groups  of  boys  and  girls.  She  would  take  the  girls, 
Matthew  Weyburn  the  boys.  She  had  lessons  to  give 
to  girls,  she  had  sympathy,  pity,  anticipation.  That 
would  be  a  life  of  happy  service.  It  might  be  a  fruit- 
ful trial  of  the  system  he  proposed,  to  keep  the  boys 
and  girls  in  company  as  much  as  possible,  both  at 
lessons  and  at  games.  His  was  the  larger  view.  Her 
lord's  view  appeared  similar  to  that  of  her  aunt's 
"  throned  Ottoman  Turk  on  his  divan."  Matthew  Wey- 
burn believed  in  the  bettering  of  the  world;  Lord  Or- 
mont  had  no  belief  like  it. 

Presently  Mrs.  Pagnell  returned  to  the  charge,  and 
once  more  she  was  nipped,  and  irritated  to  declare  she 
had  never  known  her  niece's  temper  so  provoking. 
Aminta  was  launching  a  dream  of  a  lass  she  had  seen 
in  a  field,  near  a  white  hawthorn,  standing  upright,  her 
left  arm  aloft  round  the  pole  of  a  rake,  the  rim  of  her 


ALONG   TWO  ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  253 

bonnet  tipped  on  her  forehead;  an  attitude  of  a  rustic 
Britannia  with  helmet  heeling  at  dignity.  The  girl's 
eyes  hung  to  the  passing  chariot,  without  movement  of 
her  head.  It  was  Aminta  who  looked  back,  and  she 
saw  the  girl  looking  away.  Among  the  superior  dames 
and  damsels  she  had  seen,  there  was  not  one  to  match 
that  figure  for  stately  air,  gallant  ease,  and  splendour  of 
pose.  Matthew  Weyburn  would  have  admired  the  girl. 
Aminta  did  better  than  envy,  she  cast  off  the  last 
vestiges  of  her  bitter  ambition  to  be  a  fine  lady,  and 
winged  into  the  bosom  of  the  girl,  and  not  shyly  said 
''yes"  to  Matthew  Weyburn,  and  to  herself,  deep  in 
herself:  "A  maid  has  no  need  to  be  shy."  Hardly 
blushing  she  walks  on  into  the  new  life  beside  him,  and 
hears  him  say  :  "  I  in  my  way,  you  in  yours ;  we  are 
equals,  the  stronger  for  being  equals,"  and  she  quite 
agrees,  and  she  gives  him  the  fuller  heart  for  his  not 
requiring  her  to  be  absorbed  —  she  is  the  braver  mate 
for  him.  Does  not  that  read  his  meaning  ?  Happiest 
of  the  girls  of  earth,  she  has  divined  it  at  once,  from 
never  having  had  the  bitter  ambition  to  be  a  slave,  that 
she  might  wear  rich  tissues  ;  and  let  herself  be  fettered, 
that  she  might  loll  in  idleness ;  lose  a  soul  to  win  a 
title ;  escape  commonplace  to  discover  it  ghastlier  under 
cloth  of  gold,  and  the  animal  crowned,  adored,  fattened, 
utterly  served,  in  the  class  called  by  consent  of  human 
society  the  Upper. 

Reason  whispered  a  reminder  of  facts  to  her. 


254  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS  AMINTA 

"  But  I  am  not  the  Countess  of  Ormont ! "  she  said. 
She  felt  herself  the  girl,  her  sensations  were  so  in- 
tensely simple. 

Proceeding  to  an  argument,  that  the  earl  did  not 
regard  her  as  the  Countess  of  Ormont,  or  the  ceremony 
at  the  British  Embassy  as  one  serious  and  binding,  she 
pushed  her  reason  too  far :  sweet  delusion  waned.  She 
waited  for  some  fresh  scene  to  revive  it. 

Aminta  sat  unwittingly  weaving  her  destiny. 

While  she  was  thus  engaged,  a  carriage  was  rolling  on 
the  more  westerly  road  down  to  Steignton.  Seated  in 
it  were  Lady  Charlotte  Eglett  and  Matthew  Weyburn. 
They  had  met  at  Arthur  Abner's  office  the  previous  day. 
She  went  there  straight  from  Lord  Ormont's  house- 
agent  and  upholsterer,  to  have  a  queer  bit  of  thunderous 
news  confirmed,  that  her  brother  was  down  at  Steignton, 
refurnishing  the  house,  and  not  for  letting.  She  was 
excited :  she  treated  Arthur  Abner's  closed-volume 
reticence  as  a  corroboration  of  the  house-agent's  report, 
and  hearing  Weyburn  speak  of  his  anxiety  to  see  the 
earl  immediately,  in  order  to  get  release  from  his  duties, 
proposed  a  seat  in  her  carriage ;  for  down  Steignton 
way  she  meant  to  go,  if  only  as  excuse  for  a  view  of  the 
old  place.  She  kept  asking  what  Lord  Ormont  wanted 
down  at  Steignton,  refurnishing  the  house,  and  not  to 
let  it!  Her  evasions  of  answers  that  plain  speculation 
would  supply  were  quaint.  "  He  hasn't  my  feeling 
for  Steignton.     He  could  let  it  —  I  couldn't.     Sacrilege 


I 


ALONG  TWO   ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  255 

to  me  to  have  a  tenant  in  my  old  home  where  I  was  born. 
He's  furnishing  to  raise  his  rent.  His  country  won't 
give  him  anything  to  do,  so  he  turns  miser.  That's  my 
brother  Rowsley's  way  of  taking  on  old  age." 

Her  brother  Rowsley  might  also  be  showing  another 
sign  of  his  calamitous  condition.  She  said  to  Weyburn, 
in  the  carriage,  that  her  brother  Rowsley  might  like 
having  his  hair  clipped  by  the  Philistine  woman ;  which 
is  one  of  the  ways  of  strong  men  to  confess  themselves 
ageing.  ''  Not,"  said  she,  with  her  usual  keen  just- 
ness, "  not  that  I've  a  word  against  Delilah.  I  look 
upon  her  as  a  patriot ;  she  dallied,  and  she  used  the 
scissors  on  behalf  of  her  people.  She  wasn't  bound 
to  Samson  in  honour,  —  liked  a  strong  man,  probably 
enough.  She  proved  she  liked  her  country  better.  The 
Jews  wrote  the  story  of  it,  so  there  she  stands  for 
posterity  to  pelt  her,  poor  wretch." 

"  A  tolerably  good  analogy  for  the  story  of  men  and 
women  generally,"  said  Weyburn. 

"  Ah,  well,  you've  a  right  to  talk ;  you  don't  run 
miauling  about  women.  It's  easy  to  be  squashy  on 
that  subject.  As  for  the  Jews,  I  don't  go  by  their 
history,  but  now  they're  down  I  don't  side  Avith  the 
Philistines,  or  Christians.  They're  good  citizens,  and 
they've  got  Samson  in  the  brain,  too.  That  comes  of 
persecution,  a  hard  education.  They  beat  the  world  by 
counting  in  the  head.  That's  because  they've  learnt 
the  value  of  fractions.     Napoleon  knew  it  in  war,  when 


256  LORD  ORMONT  AND   HIS  AMINTA 

he  looked  to  the  boots  and  great  coats  of  his  men ;  those 
were  his  fractions.  Lord  Orinont  thinks  he  had  too 
hard-and-fast  a  system  for  the  battle-field." 

"A  greater  strategist  than  tactician,  my  lady?  It 
may  be,"  said  Weyburn,  smiling  at  her  skips. 

"Massing  his  cannon  to  make  a  big  hole  for  his 
Cavalry,  my  brother  says;  and  weeding  his  Infantry 
for  the  Imperial  Guard  he  postponed  the  moment  to 
use." 

"At  Muskowa?" 

"  Waterloo.  I  believe  Lord  Ormont  would  —  there ! 
his  country's  lost  him,  and  chose  it.  They'll  have  their 
day  for  repentance  yet.  What  a  rapture  to  have  a 
thousand  horsemen  following  you!  I  suppose  there 
never  was  a  man  worthy  of  the  name  who  roared  to  be 
a  woman.  I  know  I  could  have  shrieked  half  my  life 
through  to  have  been  born  male.  It's  no  matter  now. 
When  we  come  to  this  hateful  old  age,  we  meet:  no, 
we're   no   sex   then  —  we're   dry  sticks.     I'll   tell  you: 

my  Olmer  doctor that's  an   impudent   fellow  who 

rode  by  staring  into  my  carriage.  The  window's  down. 
He  could  see  without  pushing  his  hat  in." 

Weyburn  looked  out  after  a  man  cantering  on. 

"A  Mr.  Morsfield,"  he  said.  "I  thought  it  was  he 
when  I  saw  him  go  by.  I've  met  him  at  the  fencing- 
rooms.  He's  one  of  the  violent  fencers,  good  for  mak- 
ing his  point,  if  one  funks  an  attack." 

"  That   man   Morsfield,    is   it  ?     I  wonder   what  he's 


J 


ALONG  TWO   ROADS   TO   STEIGNTON  257 

doing  on  the  road  here.  He  goes  over  London  boasting 
—  hum,  nothing  to  me.  But  he'll  find  Lord  Ormont's 
arm  can  protect  a  poor  woman,  whatever  she  is.  He'd 
have  had  it  before,  only  Lord  Ormont  shuns  a  scandal. 
I  was  telling  you,  my  Olmer  doctor  forbade  horse-riding, 
and  my  husband  raised  a  noise  like  one  of  my  turkey- 
cocks  on  the  wing ;  so  I've  given  up  the  saddle,  to  quiet 
him.  I  guessed.  I  went  yesterday  morning  to  my 
London  physician.  He  sounded  me,  pushed  out  his 
mouth  and  pulled  down  his  nose,  recommended  avoid- 
ance of  excitement.  '  Is  it  heart  ?  '  I  said.  He  said  it 
was  heart.  That  was  the  best  thing  an  old  woman 
could  hear.  He  said,  when  he  saw  I  wasn't  afraid,  it 
was  likely  to  be  quick';  no  doctors,  no  nvirses,  and 
daily  bulletins  for  inquirers,  but  just  the  whites  of  the 
eyes,  the  laying-out,  the  undertaker  and  the  family- 
vault.  That's  one  reason  why  I  want  to  see  Steignton 
before  the  blow  that  may  fall  any  day,  whether  my 
brother  Rowsley's  there  or  no.  But  that  Olmer  doctor 
of  mine,  Causitt,  Peter  Causitt,  shall  pay  me  for  being 
a  liar  or  else  an  ignoramus  when  I  told  him  he  was 
to  tell  me  bluntly  the  nature  of  my  disease." 

A  horseman,  in  whom  they  recognised  Mr.  Morsfield, 
passed,  clattering  on  the  road  behind  them. 

"  Some  woman  hereabout,"  Lady  Charlotte  muttered. 

Weyburn  saw  him  joined  by  a  cavalier,  and  the  two 
consulted  and  pointed  whips  right  and  left. 


258  LOKD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 


CHAPTEE  XVII 

LADY    charlotte's    TRIUMPH 

One  of  the  days  of  sovereign  splendour  in  England 
was  riding  down  the  heavens  and  drawing  the  royal 
mantle  of  the  gold-fringed  shadows  over  plain  and  wavy 
turf,  blue  water  and  woods  of  the  country  round  Steign- 
ton.  A  white  mansion  shone  to  a  length  of  oblong  lake 
that  held  the  sun-ball  suffused  in  mild  yellow. 

"There's  the  place,"  Lady  Charlotte  said  to  Wey- 
burn,  as  they  had  view  of  it  at  a  turn  of  the  park. 
She  said  to  herself  —  where  I  was  born  and  bred !  and 
her  sight  gloated  momentarily  on  the  house  and  side 
avenues,  a  great  plane  standing  to  the  right  of  the 
houge,  the  sparkle  of  a  little  river  running  near;  all 
the  scenes  she  knew,  all  young  and  lively.  She  sprang 
on  her  seat  for  a  horse  beneath  her,  and  said,  "But 
this  is  healthy  excitement,"  as  in  reply  to  her  London 
physician's  remonstrances.  "And  there's  my  brother 
Rowsley,  talking  to  one  of  the  keepers,"  she  cried. 
"  You  see  Lord  Ormont  ?  I  can  see  a  mile.  Sight 
doesn't  fail  with  me.  He's  insisting.  'Ware  poachers 
when  Rowsley's  on  his  ground !  You  smell  tlie  air 
here  ?  Nobody  dies  round  about  Steignton.  Their 
legs  wear  out  and  they  lie  down  to  rest  them.  It's  the 
finest   air  in  the  world.     Now  look,  the   third  window 


LADY  charlotte's  tkiumph  259 

left  of  the  porch,  first  floor.  That  was  my  room  before 
I  married.  Strangers  have  been  here,  and  called  the 
place  home.  It  can  never  be  home  to  any  but  me 
and  Rowsley.  He  sees  the  carriage.  He  little  thinks ! 
He's  dressed  in  his  white  corduroy  and  knee-breeches. 
Age !  he  won't  know  age  till  he's  ninety.  Here  he 
comes  marching.  He  can't  bear  surprises.  I'll  wave 
my  hand  and  call." 

She  called  his  name. 

In  a  few  strides  he  was  at  the  carriage  window. 
"You,  Charlotte?" 

"  Home  again,  Rowsley  ?  Bring  down  your  eyebrows, 
and  let  me  hear  you're  glad  I've  come." 

"  What  made  you  expect  you  would  find  me  here  ?  " 

"Anything  —  cats  on  the  tiles  at  night.  You  can't 
keep  a  secret  from  me.  Here's  Mr.  Weyburn,  good 
enough  to  be  my  escort.     I'll  get  out." 

She  alighted,  scorning  help;    Weyburn  at  her  heels. 

The  earl  nodded  to  him  politely  and  not  cordially. 
He  was  hardly  cordial  to  Lady  Charlotte. 

That  had  no  effect  on  her.  "  A  glorious  day  for 
Steignton,"  she  said.  "  Ah,  there's  the  Buridon  group 
of  beeches;  grander  trees  than  grow  at  Buridon.  Old 
timber  now.  I  knew  them  slim  as  demoiselles. 
Where's  the  ash  ?  We  had  a  splendid  ash  on  the  west 
side." 

"Dead  and  cut  down  long  since,"  replied  the  earl. 

«  So  we  go  !  " 


260  LORD   OEMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

She  bent  her  steps  to  the  spot;  a  grass-covered  heave 
of  the  soil. 

"Dear  old  tree!"  she  said,  in  a  music  of  elegy;  and 
to  Weyburn :  "  Looks  like  a  stump  of  an  arm  lopped  off 
a  shoulder  in  bandages.  Nature  does  it  so.  All  the 
tenants  doing  well,  Rowsley?" 

"About  the  same  amount  of  trouble  with  them." 

"Ours  at  Olmer  get  worse." 

"It's  a  process  for  the  extirpation  of  the  landlords." 

"Then  down  goes  the  country." 

"They've  got  their  case,  their  papers  tell  us." 

"I  know  they  have;  but  we've  got  the  soil,  and  we'll 
make  a  fight  of  it." 

"They  can  fight,  too,  they  say." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  think  they  couldn't,  if  they're 
Englishmen." 

She  spoke  so  like  his  old  Charlotte  of  the  younger 
days  that  her  brother  partly  laughed. 

"  Parliamentary  fighting's  not  much  to  your  taste  or 
mine.  They've  lost  their  stomach  for  any  other.  The 
battle  they  enjoy  is  the  battle  that  goes  for  the  majority. 
Gauge  their  valour  by  that." 

"To  be  sure,"  said  his  responsive  sister.  She  changed 
her  note.  "But  what  I  say  is,  let  the  nobles  keep 
together  and  stick  to  their  class.  There's  nothing  to 
fear  then.  They  must  marry  among  themselves,  think 
of  the  blood;  it's  their  first  duty.  Or  better  a  peasant 
girl!     Middle  courses  dilute  it  to  the  stuff  in  a  publi- 


J 


LADY   charlotte's   TRIUMPH  261 

can's  tankard.  It's  an  adulterous  beast  who  thinks  of 
mixing  old  wine  with  anything." 

"  Hulloa !  "  said  the  earl ;  and  she  drew  up. 

"You'll  have  me  here  till  over  to-morrow,  Rowsley, 
so  that  I  may  have  one  clear  day  at  Steignton?" 

He  bowed.  "  You  will  choose  your  room.  Mr.  Wey- 
burn  is  welcome." 

Weyburn  stated  the  purport  of  his  visit,  and  was 
allowed  to  name  an  early  day  for  the  end  of  his  term  of 
service. 

Entering  the  house.  Lady  Charlotte  glanced  at  the 
armour  and  stag-branches  decorating  corners  of  the  hall, 
and  straightway  laid  her  head  forward,  pushing  after  it 
in  the  direction  of  the  drawing-room.  She  went  in, 
stood  for  a  minute,  and  came  out.  'Her  mouth  was  hard 
shut. 

At  dinner  she  had  tales  of  uxorious  men,  of  men  who 
married  mistresses,  of  the  fearftil  incubus  the  vulgar 
family  of  a  woman  of  the  inferior  classes  ever  must  be; 
and  her  animadversions  were  strong  in  the  matter  of 
gew-gaw  modern  furniture.     The  earl  submitted  to  hear. 

She  was,  however,  keenly  attentive  whenever  he 
proffered  any  item  of  information  touching  Steignton. 

After  dinner  Weyburn  strolled  to  the  points  of  view 
she  cited  as  excellent  for  different  aspects  of  her  old 
home. 

He  found  her  waiting  to  hear  his  laudation  when  he 
came  back;    and  in  the  early  morning  she  was  on  the 


262  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMTNTA 

terrace,  impatient  to  lead  him  down  to  the  lake.  There, 
at  the  boathouse,  she  commanded  him  to  loosen  a  skiff 
and  give  her  a  paddle.  Between  exclamations,  designed 
to  waken  louder  from  him  and  not  so  successful  as  her 
cormorant  hunger  for  praise  of  Steignton  required,  she 
plied  him  to  confirm  with  his  opinion  an  opinion  that 
her  reasoning  mind  had  almost  formed  in  the  close 
neighbourhood  of  the  beloved  and  honoured  person  pro- 
voking it ;  for  abstract  ideas  were  unknown  to  her.  She 
put  it,  however,  as  in  the  abstract : 

"  How  is  it  we  meet  people  brave  as  lions  before  an 
enemy,  and  rank  cowards  when  there's  a  botheration 
among  their  friends  at  home?  And  tell  me,  too,  if 
you've  thought  the  thing  over,  what's  the  meaning  of 
this.  I've  met  men  in  high  places,  and  they've  risen 
to  distinction  by  their  own  efforts,  and  they  head  the 
nation.  Eight  enough,  you'd  say.  Well,  I  talk  with 
them,  and  I  find  they've  left  their  brains  on  the  ladder 
that  led  them  up;  they've  only  the  ideas  of  their  grand- 
father on  general  subjects.  I  come  across  a  common 
peasant  or  craftsman,  and  he  down  there  has  a  mind 
more  open  —  he's  wiser  in  his  intelligence  than  his 
rulers  and  lawgivers  up  above  there.  He  understands 
what  I  say,  and  I  learn  from  him.  I  don't  learn  mucli 
from  our  senators,  or  great  lawyers,  great  doctors,  pro- 
fessors, members  of  governing  bodies  —  that  lot.  Policy 
seems  to  petrify  their  minds  when  they've  got  on  an 
eminence.     Now  explain  it,  if  you  can." 


I 


LADY   charlotte's   TRIUMPH  263 

"  Eesponsibility  has  a  certain  effect  on  them,  no 
doubt,"  said  Weyburn.  "Eminent  station  among  men 
doesn't  give  a  larger  outlook.  Most  of  them  confine 
their  observation  to  their  supports.  It  happens  to  be 
one  of  the  questions  I  have  thought  over.  Here  in 
England,  and  particularly  on  a  fortnight's  run  in  the 
lowlands  of  Scotland  once,  I  have,  like  you,  my  lady, 
come  now  and  then  across  the  people  we  call  common, 
men  and  women,  old  wayside  men  especially;  slow- 
minded,  but  hard  in  their  grasp  of  facts,  and  ready  to 
learn,  and  logical,  large  in  their  ideas,  though  going  a 
roundabout  way  to  express  them.  They  were  at  the 
bottom  of  wisdom,  for  they  had  in  their  heads  the  deli- 
cate sense  of  justice,  upon  which  wisdom  is  founded. 
That  is  what  their  rulers  lack.  Unless  we  have  the 
sense  of  justice  abroad  like  a  common  air,  there's  no 
peace,  and  no  steady  advance.  But  these  humble  people 
had  it.  They  reasoned  from  it,  and  came  to  sound  con- 
clusions. I  felt  them  to  be  my  superiors.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  have  not  felt  the  same  with  'our  senators, 
rulers,  and  lawgivers.'  They  are  for  the  most  part 
deficient  in  the  liberal  mind." 

"Ha!  good,  so  far.  How  do  you  account  for  it?" 
said  Lady  Charlotte. 

"  I  read  it  in  this  way :  that  the  world  being  such  as 
it  is  at  present,  demanding  and  rewarding  with  honours 
and  pay  special  services,  the  men  called  great,  who  have 
risen  to  distinction,  are  not  men  of  brains,  but  the  men 


264  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

of  aptitudes.  These  men  of  aptitudes  have  a  poor  con- 
ception of  the  facts  of  life  to  meet  the  necessities  of 
modern  expansion.  They  are  serviceable  in  depart- 
ments. They  go  as  they  are  driven,  or  they  resist.  In 
either  case,  they  explain  how  it  is  that  we  have  a  world 
moving  so  sluggishly.  They  are  not  the  men  of  brains, 
the  men  of  insight  and  outlook.  Often  enough  they  are 
foes  of  the  men  of  brains." 

"Aptitudes;  yes,  that  flashes  a  light  into  me,"  said 
Lady  Charlotte.  "I  see  it  better.  It  helps  to  some 
comprehension  of  their  muddle.  A  man  may  be  a  first- 
rate  soldier,  doctor,  banker  —  as  we  call  the  usurer 
nowadays  —  or  brewer,  orator,  anything  that  leads  up 
to  a  figure-head,  and  prove  a  foolish  fellow  if  you  sound 
him.  I've  thought  something  like  it,  but  wanted  the 
word.  They  say  themselves,  'get  to  know,  and  you  see 
with  what  little  wisdom  the  world  is  governed! '  You 
explain  how  it  is.     I  shall  carry  'aptitudes  '  away." 

She  looked  straight  at  Weyburn.  "If  I  were  a 
younger  woman  I  could  kiss  you  for  it." 

He  bowed  to  her  very  gratefully. 

"Remember,  my  lady,  there's  a  good  deal  of  the 
Reformer  in  that  definition." 

"  I  stick  to  my  class.  But  they  shall  hear  a  true  word 
when  there's  one  abroad,  I  can  tell  them.  That  reminds 
me  —  you  ought  to  have  asked:  let  me  tell  you  I'm 
friendly  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hampton-Evey.  We  had  a 
wrestle  for  half  an  hour,  and  I  threw  him  and  helped 


LADY   charlotte's   TRIUMPH  265 

him  up,  and  he  apologised  for  tumbling,  and  I  subscribed 
to  one  of  his  charities,  and  gave  up  about  the  pew,  but 
had  an  excuse  for  not  sitting  under  the  sermon.  A  poor 
good  creature.  He's  got  the  aptitudes  for  his  office. 
He  won't  do  much  to  save  his  Church.  I  knew  another 
who  had  his  aptitude  for  the  classics,  and  he  has 
mounted.  He  was  my  tutor  when  I  was  a  girl.  He 
was  fond  of  declaiming  passages  from  Lucian  and  Longus 
and  Ovid.  One  day  he  was  at  it  with  a  piece  out  of 
Daphnis  and  Chloe,  and  I  said,  '  Now  translate.'  He 
fetched  a  gurgle  to  say  he  couldn't,  and  I  slapped  his 
cheek.  Will  you  believe  it?  the  man  was  indignant.  I 
told  him,  if  he  would  like  to  know  why  I  behaved  in 
'  that  unmaidenly  way, '  he  had  better  apply  at  home.  I 
had  no  further  intimations  of  his  classical  aptitudes ;  but 
he  took  me  for  a  cleverer  pupil  than  I  was.  I  hadn't  a 
notion  of  the  stuff  he  recited.  I  read  by  his  face.  That 
was  my  aptitude  —  always  has  been.  But  think  of  the 
donkeys  parents  are  when  they  let  a  man  have  a  chance 
of  pouring  his  barley-sugar  and  sulphur  into  the  ears  of 
a  girl.  Lots  of  girls  have  no  latent  heckles  and  prickles 
to  match  his  villainy.  — There's  my  brother  come  back 
to  breakfast  from  a  round.  You  and  I'll  have  a  drive 
before  lunch,  and  a  ride  or  a  stroll  in  the  afternoon. 
There's  a  lot  to  see.  I  mean  you  to  get  the  whole  place 
into  your  head.  I've  ordered  the  phaeton,  and  you  shall 
take  the  whip,  with  me  beside  you.  Tliat's  how  my 
husband  and  I  spent  three-quarters  of  our  honeymoon." 


266  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Each  of  the  three  breakfasted  alone. 

They  met  on  the  terrace.  It  was  easily  perceived  that 
Lord  Ormont  stood  expecting  an  assault  at  any  instant; 
prepared  also  to  encounter  and  do  battle  with  his 
redoubtable  sister.  Only  he  wished  to  defer  the  engage- 
ment. And  he  was  magnanimous :  he  was  in  the  right, 
she  in  the  wrong;  he  had  no  desire  to  grapple  with  her, 
fling  and  humiliate.  The  Sphinx  of  Mrs.  Fagnell  had 
been  communing  with  himself  unwontedly  during  the 
recent  weeks. 

What  was  the  riddle  of  him?  That,  he  did  not  read. 
But,  expecting  an  assault,  and  relieved  by  his  sister 
Charlotte's  departure  with  Weyburn,  he  went  to  the 
drawing-room,  where  he  had  seen  her  sniff  her  strong 
suspicions  of  a  lady  coming  to  throne  it.  Charlotte 
could  believe  that  he  flouted  the  world  with  a  beautiful 
young  woman  on  his  arm;  she  would  not  believe  him 
capable  of  doing  that  in  his  family  home  and  native 
county;  so,  then,  her  shrewd  wits  had  nothing  or  little 
to  learn.  But  her  vehement  fighting  against  facts;  her 
obstinate  aristocratic  prejudices,  which  he  shared;  her 
stinger  of  a  tongue:  these  in  ebullition  formed  a  dis- 
comforting prospect.  The  battle  might  as  well  be  con- 
ducted through  the  post.     Come,  it  must! 

Even  her  writing  of  the  pointed  truths  she  would 
deliver  was  an  unpleasant  anticipation.  His  ears  heated. 
Undoubtedly  he  could  crush  her.  Yet,  supposing  her  to 
speak  to  his  ears,  she  would  say,  ''  You  married  a  young 


LADY   CHAPwLOTTE's   TRIUMPH  267 

woman,  and  have  been  foiling  and  fooling  her  ever  since, 
giving  her  half  a  title  to  the  name  of  wife,  and  allowing 
her  in  consequence  to  be  wholly  disfigured  before  the 
world  —  your  family  naturally  her  chief  enemies,  who 
would  otherwise  (Charlotte  would  proclaim  it)  have  been 
her  friends.  What !  your  intention  was  (one  could  hear 
Charlotte's  voice)  to  smack  the  world  in  the  face,  and 
you  smacked  your  young  wife's  instead!  " 

His  intention  had  been  nothing  of  the  sort.  He  had 
married,  in  a  foreign  city,  a  young  woman  who  adored 
him,  whose  features,  manners,  and  carriage  of  her  person 
satisfied  his  exacting  taste  in  the  sex;  and  he  had 
intended  to  cast  gossipy  England  over  the  rail  and  be  a 
traveller  for  the  remainder  of  his  days.  And  at  first 
she  had  acquiesced,  tacitly  accepted  it  as  part  of  the 
contract.  He  bore  with  the  burden  of  an  intolerable 
aunt  of  hers  for  her  sake.  The  two  fell  to  work  to 
conspire.  Aminta  "tired  of  travelling,"  Aminta  must 
have  a  London  house.  She  continually  expressed  a 
hope  that  "she  might  set  her  eyes  on  Steignton  some 
early  day."  In  fact,  she  as  good  as  confessed  her 
scheme  to  plot  for  the  acknowledged  position  of  Countess 
of  Ormont  in  the  English  social  world.  That  was  a  dis- 
tinct breach  of  the  contract. 

As  to  the  babble  of  the  London  world  about  a  "  very 
young  wife,"  he  scorned  it  completely,  but  it  belonged 
to  the  calculation.  "A  very  handsome  young  wife" 
would  lay  commands  on  a  sexagenarian  vigilance  while 


268  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

adding  to  liis  physical  glory.  The  latter  he  could  forego 
among  people  he  despised.  It  would,  however,  be  an 
annoyance  to  stand  constantly  hand  upon  sword-hilt. 

There  was,  besides,  the  conflict  with  his  redoubtable 
sister.  He  had  no  dread  of  it,  in  contemplation  of  the 
necessity;  he  could  crush  his  Charlotte.  The  objection 
was,  that  his  Aminta  should  be  pressing  him  to  do  it. 

Examine  the  situation  at  present.  Aminta  has  all 
she  needs  —  every  luxury.  Her  title  as  Countess  of 
Ormont  is  not  denied.  Her  husband  justly  refuses  to 
put  foot  into  English  society.  She,  choosing  to  go 
where  she  may  be  received,  dissociates  herself  from  him, 
and  he  does  not  complain.  She  does  complain.  There 
is  a  difference  between  the  two. 

He  had  always  shunned  the  closer  yoke  with  a  woman 
because  of  these  vexatious  dissensions.  For  not  only 
'  are  women  incapable  of  practising,  they  cannot  compre- 
hend magnanimity. 

Lord  Ormont's  argumentative  reverie  to  the  above 
effect  had  been  pursued  over  and  over.  He  knew  that 
the  country  which  broke  his  military  career  and  ridi- 
culed his  newspaper  controversy  was  unforgiven  by 
him.  He  did  not  reflect  on  the  consequences  of  such  an 
unpardoning  spirit  in  its  operation  on  his  mind. 

If  he  could  but  have  passed  the  injury,  he  would  ulti- 
mately —  for  his  claims  of  service  were  admitted  —  have 
had  employment  of  some  kind.  Inoccupation  was  poison 
to  him;  travel  juggled  witli  his  malady  of  restlessness; 


LADY  charlotte's   TRIUMPH  269 

really,  a  compression  of  the  warrior's  natural  forces. 
His  Aminta,  pushed  to  it  by  the  woman  Paguell,  declined 
to  help  him  in  softening  the  virulence  of  the  disease. 
She  would  not  travel;  she  would  fix  in  this  London  of 
theirs  and  scheme  to  be  hailed  the  accepted  Countess  of 
Ormont.  She  manoeuvred;  she  thrcAv  him  on  the  veteran 
soldier's  instinct,  and  it  resulted  spontaneously  that  he 
manoeuvred. 

Hence  their  game  of  Pull,  which  occupied  him  a  little, 
tickled  him  and  amused.  The  watching  of  her  pretty 
infantile  tactics  amused  him  too  much  to  permit  of  a 
side-thought  on  the  cruelty  of  the  part  he  played.  She 
had  every  luxury,  more  than  her  station  by  right  of 
birth  would  have  supplied. 

But  he  was  astonished  to  find  that  his  Aminta  proved 
herself  clever,  though  she  had  now  and  then  said  some- 
thing pointed.  She  was  in  awe  of  him;  notwithstand- 
ing which,  clearly  she  meant  to  win  and  pull  him  over. 
He  did  not  dislike  her  for  it;  she  might  use  her  weapons 
to  play  her  game ;  and  that  she  should  bewitch  men  —  a 
man  like  Morsfield — was  not  wonderful.  On  the  other 
hand,  her  conquest  of  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley  scored 
tellingly:  that  was  unaccountably  queer.  What  did 
Mrs.  Lawrence  expect  to  gain?  the  sage  lord  asked.  He 
had  not  known  women  devoid  of  a  positive  practical 
object  of  their  own  when  they  bestirred  themselves  to 
do  a  friendly  deed. 

Thanks  to  her  conquest  of  Mrs.  LaAvrence,  his  Aminta 


270  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

was  gaining  ground  —  daily  she  made  an  advance ;  inso- 
much that  he  had  heard  of  himself  as  harshly  blamed  in 
London  for  not  having  countenanced  her  recent  and 
rather  imprudent  move.  In  other  words,  whenever  she 
gave  a  violent  tug  at  their  game  of  Pull,  he  was  expected 
to  second  it.  But  the  world  of  these  English  is  too 
monstrously  stupid  in  what  it  expects,  for  any  of  its 
extravagances  to  be  followed  by  interjections. 

All  the  while  he  was  trimming  and  rolling  a  field  of 
armistice  at  Steignton,  where  they  could  discuss  the 
terms  he  had  a  right  to  dictate,  having  yielded  so  far. 
Would  she  be  satisfied  with  the  rule  of  his  ancestral 
hall,  and  the  dispensing  of  hospitalities  to  the  county? 
No,  one  may  guess:  no  woman  is  ever  satisfied.  But 
she  would  have  to  relinquish  her  game,  counting  her 
good  round  half  of  the  honours.  Somewhat  more,  on 
the  whole.  Without  beating,  she  certainly  had  accom- 
plished the  miracle  of  bending  him.  To  time  and  a 
wife  it  is  no  disgrace  for  a  man  to  bend.  It  is  the 
form  of  submission  of  the  bulrush  to  the  wind,  of 
courtesy  in  the  cavalier  to  a  lady. 

"Oh,  here  you  are,  Kowsley,"  Lady  Charlotte  ex- 
claimed at  the  drawing-room  door.  "Well,  and  I  don't 
like  those  Louis  Quinze  cabinets;  and  that  modern 
French  mantelpiece  clock  is  hideous.  You  seem  to 
furnish  in  downright  contempt  of  the  women  you  invite 
to  sit  in  the  room.  Lord  help  the  wretched  woman 
playing  hostess  in  such  a  pinchbeck  bric-a-brac  shop,  if 
there  were  one!     She's  spared,  at  all  events." 


LADY   charlotte's   TRIUMPH  271 

He  stepped  at  slow  march  to  one  of  the  five  windows. 
Lady  Charlotte  went  to  another  near  by.  She  called  to 
Weyburn : 

"  We  had  a  regatta  on  that  water  when  Lord  Ormont 
came  of  age.  I  took  an  oar  in  one  of  the  boats,  and  we 
won  a  prize;  and  when  I  was  landing  I  didn't  stride 
enough  to  the  spring-plank,  and  plumped  in." 

Some  labourers  of  the  estate  passed  in  front. 

Lord  Ormont  gave  out  a  broken  laugh.  "See  those 
fellows  walk!  That's  the  raw  material  of  the  famous 
English  infantry.  They  bend  their  knees  five-and-forty 
degrees  for  every  stride;  and  when  you  drill  them  out 
of  that,  they're  stiff  as  ramrods.  I  gymnasticised  them 
in  my  regiment.  I'd  have  challenged  any  French  regi- 
ment to  out-walk  or  out -jump  us,  or  any  crack  Tyrolese 
Jagers  to  out-climb,  though  we  were  cavalry." 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  and  exercised  crack  corps  are  wanted 
with  us,"  Weyburn  replied.  "The  English  authorities 
are  adverse  to  it,  but  it's  against  nature  —  on  the  sup- 
position that  all  Englishmen  might  enrol  untrained  in 
CaBsar's  pet  legion.  Virgil  shows  knowledge  of  men 
when  he  says  of  the  row-boat  straining  in  emulation, 
Possunt  quia  posse  videntur." 

He  talked  on  rapidly;  he  wondered  that  he  did  not 
hear  Lady  Charlotte  exclaim  at  what  she  must  be 
seeing. 

From  the  nearest  avenue  a  lady  had  issued.  She 
stood  gazing  at  the  house,  erect  —  a  gallant  figure  of  a 


272  LORD  ORMONT  AND  HIS  AMINTA 

woman  —  one  hand  holding  her  parasol,  the  other  at  her 
hip.  He  knew  her.  She  was  a  few  paces  ahead  of 
Mrs.  Pagnell,  beside  whom  a  gentleman  walked. 

The  cry  came.  "It's  that  man  Morsfield!  Who 
brings  that  man  Morsfield  here?  He  hunted  me  on  the 
road;  he  seemed  to  be  on  the  wrong  scent.  Who  are 
those  women?  Rowsley,  are  your  grounds  open  every 
day  of  the  week?     She  threatens  to  come  in! " 

Lady  Charlotte  had  noted  that  the  foremost  and 
younger  of  "  those  women  "  understood  how  to  walk  and 
how  to  dress  to  her  shape  and  colour.  She  inclined  to 
think  she  was  having  to  do  with  an  intrepid  foreign-bred 
minx. 

Aminta  had  been  addressed  by  one  of  her  companions, 
and  had  hastened  forward.  It  looked  like  the  beginning 
of  a  run  to  enter  the  house. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  ran  after  her.     She  ran  cow-like. 

The  earl's  gorge  rose  at  the  spectacle  Charlotte  was 
observing. 

With  Morsfield  he  could  have  settled  accounts  at  any 
moment,  despatching  Aminta  to  her  chamber  for  an 
hour.  He  had,  though  he  was  offended,  an  honourable 
guess  that  she  had  not  of  her  free  will  travelled  with 
the  man  and  brought  him  into  the  grounds.  It  was  the 
presence  of  the  intolerable  Pagnell  under  Charlotte's 
eyes  which  irritated  him  beyond  the  common  anger  he 
felt  at  Aminta's  pursuit  of  him  right  into  Steignton. 
His  mouth  locked.     Lady  Charlotte  needed  no  speech 


LADY   charlotte's   TRIUMPH  27S 

from  him  for  sign  of  the  boiliug;  she  was  too  wary  to 
speak  while  that  went  on. 

He  said  to  Weyburn,  loud  enough  for  his  Charlotte  to 
hear:  '*Do  me  the  favour  to  go  to  the  Countess  of 
Ormont.  Conduct  her  back  to  London.  You  will  say 
it  is  my  command.  Inform  Mr.  Morsfield,  with  my 
compliments,  I  regret  I  have  no  weapons  here.  I  under- 
stand him  to  complain  of  having  to  wait.  I  shall  be  in 
town  three  days  from  this  date." 

"My  lord,"  said  Weyburn;  and  actually  he  did  mean 
to  supplicate.  He  could  imagine  seeing  Lord  Ormont's 
eyebrows  rising  to  Alpine  heights. 

Lady  Charlotte  seized  his  arm. 

"Go  at  once.  Do  as  you  are  told.  I'll  have  your 
portmanteau  packed  and  sent  after  you  —  the  phaeton's 
out  in  the  yard  —  to  Kowsley,  or  Ashead,  or  Dornton, 
wherever  they  put  up.  Now  go,  or  we  shall  have  hot 
work.     Keep  your  head  on,  and  go." 

He  went,  without  bowing. 

Lady  Charlotte  rang  for  the  footman. 

The  earl  and  she  watched  the  scene  on  the  sward  below 
the  terrace. 

Aminta  listened  to  Weyburn.  Evidently  there  was 
no  expostulation. 

But  it  was  otherwise  with  Mrs.  Pagnell.  She  flung 
wild  arms  of  a  semaphore  signalling  national  events. 
She  sprang  before  Aminta  to  stop  her  retreat,  and 
stamped  and  gibed,  for  sign   that   she   would   not   be 


274  LORD   OriMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

driven.  She  fell  away  to  Mr.  Morsfield,  for  simple 
hearing  of  her  plaint.  He  appeared  emphatic.  There 
was  a  passage  between  him  and  Weyburn. 

"I  suspect  you've  more  than  your  match  in  young 
Weyburn,  Mr.  Morsfield, "  Lady  Charlotte  said,  measur- 
ing them  as  they  stood  together. 

They  turned  at  last. 

"You  shall  drive  back  to  town  with  me,  Eowsley," 
said  the  fighting  dame. 

She  breathed  no  hint  of  her  triumph. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A   SCENE    ON    THE    ROAD    BACK 

After  refusing  to  quit  the  grounds  of  Steignton,  in 
spite  of  the  proprietor,  Mrs.  Pagnell  burst  into  an  agita- 
tion to  have  them  be  at  speed,  that  they  might  *'  shake 
the  dust  of  the  place  from  the  soles  of  their  feet " ;  and 
she  hurried  past  Aminta  and  Lord  Ormont's  insolent 
emissary,  carrying  Mr.  Morsfield  beside  her,  perforce  of 
a  series  of  imperiously-toned  vacuous  questions,  to 
which  he  listened  in  rigid  politeness,  with  the  ejacula- 
tion steaming  oif  from  time  to  time,  "  A  scandal !  " 

He  shot  glances  behind. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  was  going  too  fast.  She,  however,  would 
not  hear  of  a  halt,  and  she  was  his  main  apology  for 


A   SCENE  ON   THE   ROAD   BACK  275 

being  present  j  he  was  excruciatingly  attached  to  the 
horrid  woman. 

Weyburn  spoke  the  commonplaces  about  regrets  to 
Aminta. 

"Believe  me,  it  is  long  since  I  have  been  so  happy," 
she  said. 

She  had  come  out  of  her  stupefaction,  and  she  wore  no 
theatrical  looks  of  cheerfulness. 

"  I  regret  that  you  should  be  dragged  away.  But,  if 
you  say  you  do  not  mind,  it  will  be  pleasant  to  me.  I 
can  excuse  Lord  Ormont's  anger.  I  was  ignorant  of  his 
presence  here.  I  thought  him  in  Paris.  I  supposed  the 
place  empty.  I  wished  to  see  it  once.  I  travelled  as 
the  niece  of  Mrs.  Pagnell.  She  is  a  little  infatuated. 
.  .  .  Mr.  Morsfield  heard  of  our  expedition  through 
her.  1  changed  the  route.  I  was  not  in  want  of  a 
defender.  I  could  have  defended  myself  in  case  of 
need.  We  slept  at  Ashead,  two  hours  from  Steignton. 
He  and  a  friend  accompanied  us,  not  with  my  consent. 
Lord  Ormont  could  not  have  been  aware  of  that.  These 
accidental  circumstances  happen.  There  may  be  par- 
donable intentions  on  all  sides." 

She  smiled.  Her  looks  were  open,  and  her  voice  light 
and  spirited;  though  the  natural  dark  rose-glow  was 
absent  from  her  olive  cheeks. 

Weyburn  puzzled  over  the  mystery  of  so  volatile 
a  treatment  of  a  serious  matter,  on  the  part  of  a 
woman  whose   feelings  he  had  reason   to   know  were 


276  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

quick  and  deep.  She  might  be  acting,  as  women  so 
cleverly  do. 

It  could  hardly  be  acting  Avlien  she  pointed  to  peeps 
of  scenery,  with  a  just  eye  for  landscape. 

''You  leave  us  for  Switzerland  very  soon?"  she  said. 

"Tlie  reversion  I  have  been  expecting  has  fallen  in, 
besides  my  inheritance.  My  mother  was  not  to  see  the 
school.  But  I  shall  not  forget  her  counsels.  I  can 
now  make  my  purchase  of  the  house  and  buildings,  and 
buy  out  my  partner  at  the  end  of  a  year.  My  boys  are 
jumping  to  start.     I  had  last  week  a  letter  from  ifimile." 

"Dear  little  :fimile!" 

"You  like  him?" 

"I  could  use  a  warmer  word.  He  knew  me  when  I 
was  a  girl." 

She  wound  the  strings  of  his  heart  suddenly  tense, 
and  they  sang  to  their  quivering. 

"  You  will  let  me  hear  of  you,  Mr.  Weyburu?  " 

"I  will  write.  Oh!  certainly  I  will  write,  if  I  am 
told  you  are  interested  in  our  doings,  Lady  Ormont." 

"I  will  let  you  know  that  I  am." 

"I  shall  be  happy  in  writing  full  reports." 

"Every  detail,  I  beg.  All  concerning  the  school. 
Help  me  to  feel  I  am  a  boarder.  I  catch  up  an  old 
sympathy  I  had  for  girls  and  boys.  For  boys !  any  boys ! 
the  dear  monkey  boys!  cherub  monkeys!  They  are  so 
funny.  I  am  sure  I  never  have  laughed  as  I  did  at 
Selina  Collett's  report,  through  her  brother,  of  the  way 


A   SCENE   ON   THE   ROAD   BACK  277 

the  boys  tried  to  take  to  my  name ;  and  their  sneezing 
at  it,  like  a  cat  at  a  deceitful  dish.  'Aminta'  —  was 
that  their  way?" 

"  Something  —  the  young  rascals !  " 

"But  please  repeat  it  as  you  heard  them." 

"'Aminta.'" 

He  subdued  the  mouthing. 

"  It  didn't  offend  me  at  all.  It  is  one  of  my  amuse- 
ments to  think  of  it.  But  after  a  time  they  liked  the 
name;  and  then  how  did  they  say  it?" 

He  had  the  beloved  Aminta  on  his  lips. 

He  checked  it,  or  the  power  to  speak  it  failed. 

"Lady  Ormont,  pardon  me." 

She  drew  in  a  sharp  breath. 

"  Oh,  do  not  ask !  I  hope  your  boys  will  have  plenty 
of  fun  in  them.  They  will  have  you  for  a  providence 
and  a  friend.  I  should  wish  to  propose  to  visit  your 
school  some  day.  You  will  keep  me  informed  whether 
the  school  has  vacancies.  You  will,  please,  keep  me 
regularly  informed?" 

She  broke  into  sobs. 

Weyburn  talked  on  of  the  school,  for  a  cover  to  the 
resuming  of  her  fallen  mask,  as  he  fancied  it. 

She  soon  recovered,  all  save  a  steady  voice  for  con- 
verse, and  begged  him  to  proceed,  and  spoke  in  the  flow 
of  the  subject;  but  the  quaver  of  her  tones  was  a  cause 
of  further  melting.  The  tears  poured,  she  could  not 
explain  why,  beyond  assuring  him  that  they  were  no 


278  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

sign  of  unhappiness.  Winds  on  the  great  waters  against 
a  strong  tidal  current  beat  up  the  wave  and  shear  and 
wing  the  spray,  as  in  Aminta's  bosom.  Only  she  could 
know  that  it  was  not  her  heart  weeping,  though  she  had 
grounds  for  a  woman's  weeping.  But  she  alone  could 
be  aware  of  her  heart's  running  counter  to  the  tears. 

Her  agitation  was  untimely.  Both  Mrs,  Pagnell  and 
Mr.  Morsfield  observed  emotion  at  work.  And  who 
could  wonder?  A  wife  denied  the  admittance  to  her 
husband's  house  by  her  husband!  The  most  beautiful 
woman  of  her  time  relentlessly  humiliated,  ordered  to 
journey  back  the  way  she  had  come ! 

They  had  reached  the  gate  of  the  park,  and  had 
turned. 

*'  A  scandal !  " 

Mr,  Morsfield  renewed  his  interjection  vehemently, 
for  an  apology  to  his  politeness  in  breaking  from  Mrs, 
Pagnell, 

Joining  the  lady,  whose  tears  were  of  the  nerves,  he 
made  offer  of  his  devotion  in  any  shape;  and  she  was 
again  in  the  plight  to  which  a  desperado  can  push  a 
woman  of  the  gentle  kind.  She  had  the  fear  of  provok- 
ing a  collision  if  she  reminded  him  that,  despite  her 
entreaties,  he  had  compelled  her,  seconded  by  her  aunt 
as  he  had  been,  to  submit  to  his  absurd  protection  on 
the  walk  across  the  park. 

He  seemed  quite  regardless  of  the  mischief  he  had 
created;  and,  reflecting  upon  liow  it  served  his  purpose. 


I 


A   SCENE   ON   THE   ROAD   BACK  279 

he  might  well  be.  Intemperate  lover,  of  the  ancient 
pattern,  that  he  was,  his  aim  to  win  the  woman  acknowl- 
edged no  obstacle  in  the  means.  Her  pitiable  position 
appealed  to  the  best  of  him;  his  inordinate  desire  of  her 
aroused  the  worst.  It  was,  besides,  an  element  of  his 
coxcombry,  that  he  should,  in  aping  the  utterly  incon- 
siderate, rush  swiftly  to  impersonate  it  when  his  pas- 
sions were  cast  on  a  die. 

Weyburn  he  ignored  as  a  stranger,  an  intruder,  an 
inferior. 

Aminta's  chariot  was  at  the  gate. 

She  had  to  resign  herself  to  the  chances  of  a  clash  of 
men,  and,  as  there  were  two  to  one,  she  requested  help 
of  Weyburn's  hand,  that  he  might  be  near  her. 

A  mounted  gentleman,  smelling  parasite  in  his  bear- 
ing, held  the  bridle  of  Morsfield's  horse. 

The  ladies  having  entered  the  chariot,  Morsfield  sprang 
to  the  saddle,  and  said:  "You,  sir,  had  better  stretch 
your  legs  to  the  inn." 

"There  is  room  for  you,  Mr.  Weyburn,"  said  Aminta. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  puffed. 

"I  can't  think  we've  room,  my  dear.  I  want  that 
bit  of  seat  in  front  for  my  feet." 

Morsfield  kicked  at  his  horse's  flanks,  and  between 
Weyburn  and  the  chariot  step,  cried :  "  Back,  sir !  " 

His  reins  were  seized,  the  horse  reared,  the  unex- 
pected occurred. 

Weyburn  shouted  "Off!"  to  the  postillion,  and 
jumped  in. 


280  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Morsfield  was  left  to  the  shaking  of  a  dusty  coat, 
while  the  chariot  rolled  its  gentle  course  down  the  leafy 
lane  into  the  high  road. 

His  friend  had  seized  the  horse's  bridle-reins;  and  he 
remarked:  "I  say,  Dolf,  we  don't  prosper  to-day." 

"He  pays  for  it,"  said  Morsfield,  foot  in  stirrup. 
''  You'll  take  him  and  trounce  him  at  the  inn.  I  don't 
fight  with  servants.  Better  game.  One  thing,  Cum- 
nock: the  fellow's  clever  at  the  foils." 

"Foils  to  the  devil!  If  I  tackle  the  fellow,  it  won't 
be  with  the  buttons.     But  how  has  he  pushed  in?" 

Morsfield  reported  "the  scandal"  in  sharp  headings. 

"  Turned  her  away.  Won't  have  her  enter  his  house 
—  grandest  woman  in  all  England!  Sent  his  dog  to 
guard.  Think  of  it  for  an  insult.  It's  insult  upon 
insult.  I've  done  my  utmost  to  fire  his  marrow.  I 
did  myself  a  good  turn  by  following  her  up  and  enter- 
ing that  park  with  her.  I  shall  succeed;  there's  a  look 
of  it.  All  I  have  —  my  life  —  is  that  woman's.  I 
never  knew  what  this  devil's  torture  was  before  I 
saw  her." 

His  friend  was  concerned  for  his  veracity. 

"Amy!" 

"A  common  spotted  snake.  She  caught  me  young, 
and  she  didn't  carry  me  off,  as  I  mean  to  carry  off  this 
glory  of  her  sex  —  she  is:  you've  seen  her!  —  and  free 
lier,  and  devote  every  minute  of  the  rest  of  my  days  to 
her.     I  say  I  must  win  the  woman  if  I  stop  at  nothing, 


A   SCENE   ON  THE   ROAD   BACK  281 

or  I  perish;  and,  if  it's  a  failure,  exit's  my  road.  I've 
watched  every  atom  she  touched  in  a  room,  and  would 
have  heaped  gold  to  have  the  chairs,  tables,  cups,  car- 
pets, mine.  I  have  two  short  letters  written  with  her 
hand.  I'd  give  two  of  my  estates  for  two  more.  If  I 
Avere  a  beggar,  and  kept  them,  I  should  be  rich.  Re- 
lieve me  of  that  dog,  and  I  toss  you  a  thousand-pound 
note,  and  thank  you  from  my  soul,  Cumnock.  You 
know  what  hangs  on  it.  Spur,  you  dolt,  or  she'll  be 
out  of  sight." 

They  cantered  upon  application  of  the  spur.  Captain 
Cumnock  was  an  impecunious  fearless  rascal,  therefore 
a  parasite  and  a  bully  duellist;  a  thick-built  north- 
countryman;  a  burly  ape  of  the  ultra-elegant;  hunter, 
gamester,  hard-drinker,  man  of  pleasure.  His  known 
readiness  to  fight  was  his  trump-card  at  a  period  when 
the  declining  custom  of  the  duel  taxed  men's  courage 
to  brave  the  law  and  the  Puritan  in  the  interests  of  a 
privileged  and  menaced  aristocracy.  An  incident  like 
the  present  was  the  passion  in  the  dice-box  to  Cumnock. 
Morsfield  was  of  the  order  of  men  who  can  be  generous 
up  to  the  pitch  of  their  desires.  Consequently,  the 
world  accounted  him  open-handed  and  devoted  when 
enamoured.  Few  men  liked  him;  he  was  a  hero  with 
some  women.  The  women  he  trampled  on ;  the  men  he 
despised.  To  the  lady  of  his  choice  he  sincerely  offered 
his  fortune  and  his  life  for  the  enjoyment  of  her  favour. 
His  ostentation  and  his  offensive  daring  combined  the 


282  LORD  ORMONT  AND   HIS   AJnNTA 

characteristics  of  the  peacock  and  the  hawk.  Always 
near  upon  madness,  there  were  occasions  when  he  could 
eclipse  the  insane.    He  had  a  ringing  renown  in  his  class. 

Chariot  and  horsemen  arrived  at  the  Koebuck  Arms, 
at  the  centre  of  the  small  toAvn  of  Ashead,  on  the  line 
from  Steignton  through  Eowsley.  The  pair  of  cavaliers 
dismounted  and  hustled  Weyburn  in  assisting  the  ladies 
to  descend. 

The  ladies  entered  the  inn;  they  declined  refection  of 
any  sort.  They  had  biscuits  and  sweetmeats,  and  looked 
forward  to  tea  at  a  farther  stage.  Captain  Cumnock 
stooped  to  their  verdict  on  themselves,  with  marvel  at 
the  quantity  of  flesh  they  managed  to  put  on  their  bones 
from  such  dieting. 

"By  your  courtesy,  sir,  a  word  with  you  in  the  inn- 
yard,  if  you  please,"  he  said  to  Weyburn  in  the  inn- 
porch. 

Weyburn  answered,  "Half  a  minute,"  and  was  in- 
formed that  it  was  exactly  the  amount  of  time  the 
captain  could  afford  to  wait. 

Weyburn  had  seen  the  Steignton  phaeton  and  coach- 
man in  the  earl's  light-blue  livery.  It  was  at  his 
orders,  he  heard.  He  told  the  coachman  to  expect  him 
shortly,  and  he  followed  the  captain,  with  a  heavy  trifle 
of  suspicion  that  some  brew  was  at  work.  He  said  to 
Aminta  in  the  passage : 

"  You  have  your  settlement  with  the  innkeejier. 
Don't,  I  beg,  step  into  the  chariot  till  you  see  me." 


A   SCENE   ON   THE   ROAD   BACK  283 

"  Anything  ?  "  said  she. 

''  Only  prudence." 

"Our  posting  horses  will  be  harnessed  soon,  I  hope. 
I  burn  to  get  away." 

Mrs.  Pagnell  paid  the  bill  at  the  bar  of  the  inn.  Mors- 
field  poured  out  for  the  injured  countess  or  no-countess  a 
dram  of  the  brandy  of  passion,  under  the  breath. 

"Deny  that  you  singled  me  once  for  your  esteem. 
Hardest-hearted  of  the  women  of  earth  and  dearest ! 
deny  that  you  gave  me  reason  to  hope  —  and  now !  I 
have  ridden  in  your  track  all  this  way  for  the  sight  of 
you,  as  you  know,  and  you  kill  me  with  frost.  Yes,  I 
rejoice  that  we  were  seen  together.  Look  on  me.  I 
swear  I  perish  for  one  look  of  kindness.  You  have  been 
shamefully  used,  madam." 

"  It  seems  to  me  I  am  being  so,"  said  Aminta,  cutting 
herself  loose  from  the  man  of  the  close  eyes  that  wavered 
as  they  shot  the  dart. 

Her  action  was  too  decided  for  him  to  follow  her  up 
under  the  observation  of  the  inn  windows  and  a  staring 
street. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  came  out.  She  went  boldly  to  Morsfield, 
and  they  conferred.  He  was  led  by  her  to  the  chariot, 
where  she  pointed  to  a  small  padded  slab  of  a  seat  back 
to  the  horses.  Turning  to  the  bar,  he  said:  "My  friend 
will  look  to  my  horse.  Both  want  watering  and  a 
bucketful.  There!''  —  he  threw  silver  —  "I  have  to 
protect  the  ladies." 


284  LOBD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

Aminta  was  at  the  chariot  door  talking  to  her  aunt 
inside. 

"  But  I  say  I  have  been  insulted  —  is  the  word  — 
more  than  enough  by  Lord  Orraont  to-day!"  Mrs.  Pag- 
nell  exclaimed ;  "  and  I  won't,  I  positively  refuse  to  ride 
up  to  London  with  any  servant  of  his.  It's  quite  suffi- 
cient that  it's  his  servant.  I'm  not  titled,  but  I'm  not 
quite  dirt.  Mr.  Morsfield  kindly  offers  his  protection, 
and  I  accept.     He  is  company." 

Nodding  and  smirking  at  Morsfield's  approach,  she 
entreated  Aminta  to  step  up  and  in,  for  the  horses  were 
coming  out  of  the  yard. 

Aminta  looked  round.  Weyburu  was  perceived ;  and 
Morsfield's  features  cramped  at  thought  of  a  hitch  in 
the  plot. 

"Possession,"  Mrs.  Pagnell  murmured  significantly. 
She  patted  the  seat.  Morsfield  sprang  to  Weyburn's 
place. 

That  was  witnessed  by  Aminta  and  Weyburn.  She 
stepped  to  consult  him.  He  said  to  the  earl's  coach- 
man —  a  young  fellow  with  a  bright  eye  for  orders : 

''Drive  as  fast  as  you  can  pelt  to  Dornton.  I'm  doing 
my  lord's  commands.     Trust  yourself  to  me,  madam." 

His  hand  stretched  for  Aminta  to  mount.  She  took 
it  without  a  word  and  climbed  to  the  seat.  A  clatter  of 
hoofs  rang  out  with  the  crack  of  the  whip.  They  were 
away  behind  a  pair  of  steppers  that  could  go  the  pace. 


1 


THE  PUKSUEES  285 


CHAPTEE  XIX 

THE    PURSUERS 

For  promptitude,  the  lady,  the  gentleman,  and  the 
coachman  were  in  such  unison  as  to  make  it  a  reason- 
able deduction  that  the  flight  had  been  concerted. 

Never  did  any  departure  from  the  Roebuck  leave  so 
wide-mouthed  a  body  of  spectators.  Mrs.  Pagnell's 
shrieks  of  "  Stop,  oh !  stop  ! "  to  the  backs  of  the  coach- 
man and  Aminta  were  continued  until  they  were  far 
down  the  street.  She  called  to  the  innkeeper,  called  to 
the  landlady  and  to  invisible  constables  for  help.  But 
her  pangs  were  childish  compared  with  Morsfield's,  who, 
with  the  rage  of  a  conceited  schemer  tricked  and  the  fury 
of  a  lover  beholding  the  rape  of  his  beautiful,  bellowed 
impotently  at  Weyburn  and  the  coachman  out  of  hear- 
ing, "  Stop  !  you  ! "  He  was  in  the  state  of  men  who 
believe  that  there  is  a  virtue  in  imprecations,  and  he 
shot  loud  oaths  after  them,  shook  his  fist,  cursed  his 
friend  Cumnock,  whose  name  he  vociferated  as  a  sum- 
mons to  him, — generally  the  baf&ed  plotter  miscon- 
ducted himself  to  an  extreme  degree,  that  might  have 
apprised  Mrs.  Pagnell  of  a  more  than  legitimate  dis- 
appointment on  his  part. 

Pursuit  was  one  of  the  immediate  ideas  which  rush 
forward  to  look  back  woefully  on  impediments  and  fret 


286  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

to  fever  over  the  tardiness  of  operations.  A  glance  at 
the  thing  of  wrinkles  receiving  orders  to  buckle  at  his 
horses  and  pursue  convinced  them  of  the  hopelessness ; 
and  Morsfield  was  pricked  to  intensest  hatred  of  the 
woman  by  hearing  the  dire  exclamation,  ''One  night, 
and  her  character's  gone  ! " 

''Be  quiet,  ma'am,  if  you  please,  or  nothing  can  be 
done,"  he  cried. 

"I  tell  you,  Mr.  Morsfield  —  don't  you  see  ?  —  he  has 
thrown  them  together.  It  is  Lord  Ormont's  wicked 
conspiracy  to  rid  himself  of  her.  A  secretary !  He'll 
beat  any  one  alive  in  plots.  She  can't  show  her  face  in 
London  after  this,  if  you  don't  overtake  her.  And  she 
might  have  seen  Lord  Ormont's  plot  to  ruin  her.  He 
tired  of  her  and  was  ashamed  of  her  inferior  birth  to 
his  own  after  the  first  year,  except  on  the  Continent, 
where  she  had  her  rights.  Me  he  never  forgave  for 
helping  make  him  the  happy  man  he  might  have  been  in 
spite  of  his  age.  For  she  is  lovely  !  But  it's  worse  for 
a  lovely  woman  with  a  damaged  reputation.  And  that's 
his  cunning.  How  she  could  be  so  silly  as  to  play  into 
it!  She  can't  have  demeaned  herself  to  look  on  that 
secretary !  I  said  from  the  first  he  seemed  as  if  thrown 
into  her  way  for  a  purpose.  But  she  has  pride  :  my  niece 
Aminta  has  pride.  She  might  well  have  listened  to  flat- 
terers —  she  had  every  temptation  —  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  her  pride.  It  may  save  her  yet.  However  good- 
looking,  she  will  remember  her  dignity  —  unless  he's  a 


THE   PURSUERS  287 

villain.  Eunnings  away !  drivings  together !  inns  !  oh ! 
the  story  over  London !  I  do  believe  she  has  a  true 
friend  in  you,  Mr.  Morslield ;  and  I  say,  as  I  have  said 
before,  the  sight  of  a  devoted  admirer  would  have  brought 
any  husband  of  more  than  sixty  to  his  senses,  if  he 
hadn't  hoped  a  catastrophe  and  determined  on  it.  Catch 
them  we  can't,  unless  she  repents  and  relents;  and 
prayers  for  that  are  our  only  resource.  Now,  start, 
man,  do ! " 

The  postilion  had  his  foot  in  position  to  spring. 

Morsfield  bawled  Cumnock's  name,  and  bestrode  his 
horse.  Captain  Cumnock  emerged  from  the  inn-yard  with 
a  dubitative  step,  pressing  a  handkerchief  to  his  nose, 
blinking,  and  scrutinising  the  persistent  fresh  stains  on  it. 

Stable  boys  were  at  the  rear.  These,  ducking  and 
springing,  surcharged  and  copious  exponents  of  the  play 
they  had  seen,  related,  for  the  benefit  of  the  town,  how 
that  the  two  gentlemen  had  exchanged  words  in  the 
yard,  which  were  about  beastly  pistols,  which  the  slim 
gentleman  would  have  none  of ;  and  then  the  big  one 
trips  up,  like  dancing,  to  the  other  one  and  flicks  him 
a  soft  clap  on  the  cheek  —  quite  friendly,  you  may  say ; 
and,  before  he  can  square  to  it,  the  slim  one  he  steps  his 
hind  leg  half  a  foot  back,  and  he  drives  a  straight  left 
like  lightning  off  the  shoulder  slick  on  to  t'other  one's 
nob,  and  over  he  rolls,  like  a  cart  with  the  shafts  up 
down  a  bank ;  and  he's  been  washing  his  "■  chops  "  and 
threatening  bullets  ever  since. 


288  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

The  exact  account  of  the  captain's  framework  in  the 
process  of  the  fall  was  graphically  portrayed  in  our 
blunt  and  racy  vernacular,  which  a  society  nourished 
upon  Norman  English  and  English  Latin  banishes  from 
print,  largely  to  its  impoverishment,  some  think. 

By  the  time  the  primary  narrative  of  the  encounter  in 
the  inn-yard  had  given  ground  for  fancy  and  ornament 
to  present  it  in  yet  more  luscious  dress.  Lord  Ormont's 
phaeton  was  a  good  mile  on  the  road,  Morsfield  and 
Captain  Cumnock  —  the  latter  inquisitive  of  the  hand- 
kerchief pressed  occasionally  at  his  nose  —  trotted  on 
tired  steeds  along  dusty  wheel  tracks.  Mrs.  Pagnell 
was  the  solitary  of  the  chariot,  having  a  horrible  couple 
of  loaded  pistols  to  intimidate  her  for  her  protection, 
and  the  provoking  back  view  of  a  regularly  jogging  man- 
nikin  under  a  big  white  hat  with  blue  riband,  who 
played  the  part  of  time  in  dragging  her  along,  with 
worse  than  no  countenance  for  her  anxieties. 

News  of  the  fugitives  was  obtained  at  the  rampant 
Red  Lion  in  Dudsworth,  nine  miles  on  along  the  London 
Road,  to  the  extent  that  the  Earl  of  Ormont's  phaeton, 
containing  a  lady  and  a  gentleman,  had  stopped  there  a 
minute  to  send  back  word  to  Steignton  of  their  comfort- 
able progress  and  expectation  of  crossing  the  borders 
into  Hampshire  before  sunset.  Morsfield  and  Cumnock 
shrugged  at  the  bumpkin  artifice.  They  left  their  line 
of  route  to  be  communicated  to  the  chariot,  and  chose, 
with  practised  acumen,  that  very  course,  which  was  the 


THE   PURSUERS  289 

main  road,  and  rewarded  them  at  the  end  of  half  an  hour 
with  sight  of  the  Steignton  phaeton. 

But  it  was  returning.  A  nearer  view  showed  it  empty 
of  the  couple. 

Morsfield  bade  the  coachman  pull  up,  and  he  was 
readily  obeyed.     Answers  came  briskly. 

Although  provincial  acting  is  not  of  the  high  class 
which  conceals  the  art,  this  man's  look  beside  him  and 
behind  him  at  vacant  seats  had  incontestable  evidence 
in  support  of  his  declaration,  that  the  lady  and  gentle- 
man had  gone  on  by  themselves  :  the  phaeton  was  a  box 
of  flown  birds. 

"  Where  did  you  say  they  got  out,  you  dog  ?  "  said 
Cumnock. 

The  coachman  stood  up  to  spy  a  point  below.  "  Down 
there  at  the  bottom  of  the  road,  to  the  right,  where 
there's  a  stile  across  the  meadows,  making  a  short  cut 
by  way  of  a  bridge  over  the  river  to  Busley  and  North 
Tothill,  on  the  highroad  to  Hocklebourne.  The  lady 
and  gentleman  thought  they'd  walk  for  a  bit  of  exercise 
the  remains  of  the  journey." 

"  Can't  prove  the  rascal's  a  liar,"  Cumnock  said  to 
Morsfield,  who  rallied  him  savagely  on  his  lucky  escape 
from  another  knock-down  blow,  and  tossed  silver  on  the 
seat,  and  said : 

"  We'll  see  if  there  is  a  stile." 

"  You'll  see  the  stile,  sir,"  rejoined  the  man,  and 
winked  at  their  backs. 


290  LOKD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Botli  cavaliers,  being  famished  besides  baffled,  were  in 
sour  tempers,  expecting  to  see  just  the  dead  wooden 
stile,  and  see  it  as  a  grin  at  them.  Cumnock  called  on 
Jove  to  witness  that  they  had  been  donkeys  enough  to 
forget  to  ask  the  driver  how  far  round  on  the  road  it 
was  to  the  other  end  of  the  cross-cut. 

Morsfield,  entirely  objecting  to  asinine  harness  with 
him,  mocked  at  his  invocation  and  intonation  of  the 
name  of  Jove. 

Cumnock  was  thereupon  stung  to  a  keen  recollection 
of  the  allusion  to  his  knock-down  blow,  and  he  retorted 
that  there  were  some  men  whose  wit  was  the  parrot's. 

Morsfield  complimented  him  over  the  exhibition  of  a 
vastly  superior  and  more  serviceable  wit  in  losing  sight 
of  his  antagonist  after  one  trial  of  him. 

Cumnock  protested  that  the  loss  of  time  was  caused 
by  his  friend's  dalliance  with  the  Venus  in  the  chariot. 

Morsfield's  gall  seethed  at  a  flying  picture  of  Mrs. 
Pagnell,  coupled  with  the  retarding  reddened  handker- 
chief business,-  and  he  recommended  Cumnock  to  pay 
court  to  the  old  Avoman,  as  the  only  chance  he  would 
have  of  acquaintanceship  with  the  mother  of  Love. 

Upon  that  Cumnock  confessed  in  humility  to  his  not 
being  wealthy.  Morsfield  looked  a  willingness  to  do  the 
deed  he  might  have  to  pay  for  in  tenderer  places  than 
the  pocket,  and  named  the  head  as  the  seat  of  poverty 
with  him.  Cumnock  then  yawned  a  town  fop's  advice 
to  a  hustling  street  passenger  to  apologise  for  his  rude- 


THE   PURSUERS  291 

ness  before  it  was  too  late.  Whereat  Morsfielcl,  certain 
that  his  parasitic  thrasyleouaping  coxcomb  would  avoid 
extremities,  mimicked  him  execrably. 

Now  this  was  a  second  breach  of  the  implied  conven- 
tion existing  among  the  exquisitely  fine-bred  silken-slen- 
der on  the  summits  of  our  mundane  sphere,  which 
demands  of  them  all,  that  they  respect  one  another's 
affectations.  It  is  commonly  done,  and  so  the  costly 
people  of  a  single  pattern  contrive  to  push  forth,  flatter- 
ingly to  themselves,  luxuriant  shoots  of  individuality  in 
their  orchidean  glass-house.  A  violation  of  the  rule  is  a 
really  deadly  personal  attack.  Captain  Cumnock  was 
particularly  sensitive  regarding  it,  inasmuch  as  he  knew 
himself  not  the  natural  performer  he  strove  to  be,  and  a 
mimicry  affected  him  as  a  haunting  check. 

He  burst  out :  "  Damned  if  I  don't  understand  why 
you're  hated  by  men  and  women  both  !  " 

Morsfield  took  a  shock.  "  Infernal  hornet !  "  he  mut- 
tered ;  for  his  conquests  had  their  secret  history. 

"  May  and  his  wife  have  a  balance  to  pay  will  trip  you 
yet,  you'll  find." 

"  Eeserve  your  wrath,  sir,  for  the  man  who  stretched 
you  on  your  back." 

The  batteries  of  the  two  continued  exchanging  red-hot 
shots,  with  the  effect,  that  they  had  to  call  to  mind  they 
were  looking  at  the  stile.  A  path  across  a  buttercup 
meadow  was  beyond  it.  They  were  damped  to  some 
coolness  by  the  sight. 


292  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  Upon  my  word,  the  trick  seems  neat ! "  said  Cum- 
nock, staring  at  the  pastoral  curtain. 

"  Whose  trick  ?  "  he  was  asked  sternly. 

"  Here  or  there's  not  much  matter ;  they're  off,  unless 
they're  under  a  hedge  laughing." 

An  ache  of  jealousy  and  spite  was  driven  through  the 
lover,  who  groaned,  and  presently  said  : 

"I  ride  on.  That  old  woman  can  follow.  I  don't 
want  to  hear  her  gibberish.  We've  lost  the  game  — 
there's  no  reckoning  the  luck.  If  there's  a  chance,  it's 
this  way.  It  smells  a  trick.  He  and  she  —  by  all  the 
devils !  It  has  been  done  in  my  family  —  might  have 
been  done  again.  Tell  the  men  on  the  plain  they  can 
drive  home.  There's  a  hundred-pound  weight  on  your 
tongue  for  silence." 

Cumnock  cried :  "  But  we  needn't  be  parting,  Dolf ! 
Stick  together.  Bad  luck's  not  repeated  every  day. 
Keep  heart  for  the  good." 

"  My  heart's  shattered,  Cumnock.  I  say  it's  impossible 
she  can  love  a  husband  twice  her  age,  who  treats  her  — 
you've  seen.  Contempt  of  that  lady  !  By  heaven  !  once 
in  my  power,  I  swear  she  would  have  been  sacred  to  me. 
But  she  would  have  been  compelled  to  face  the  public 
and  take  my  hand.  I  swear  she  would  have  been  con- 1 
gratulated  on  the  end  of  her  sufferings.  Worship!  — 
that's  what  I  feel.  No  woman  ever  alive  had  eyes  in 
her  head  like  that  lady's.  I  repeat  her  name  ten  times 
every  night  before  I  go  to  sleep.     If  I  had  her  hand,  no, 


THE   PURSUERS  293 

not  one  kiss  would  I  press  on  it  without  her  sanction.  I 
could  be  in  love  with  her  cruelty,  if  only  I  had  her  near 
me.     I've  lost  her  —  by  the  Lord,  I've  lost  her !  " 

"  Pro  tem.,^^  said  the  captain.  "  A  plate  of  red  beef 
and  a  glass  of  port  wine  alters  the  view.  Too  much  in 
the  breast,  too  little  in  the  belly,  capsizes  lovers.  Old 
story.  Hark  to  it,  and  tune-up  to  a  jolly  innamorato. 
Horses  that  ought  to  be  having  a  mash  between  their 
ribs  make  riders  despond.  Say,  shall  we  back  to  the 
town  behind  us,  or  on  ?  Back's  the  safest,  if  the  chase 
is  up." 

Morsfield  declared  himself  incapable  of  turning  and 
meeting  that  chariot.  He  sighed  heavily.  Cumnock 
offered  to  cheer  him  with  a  song  of  Captain  Chanter's 
famous  collection,  if  he  liked ;  but  Morsfield  gesticulated 
abhorrence  and  set  out  at  a  trot.  Song  in  defeat  was  a 
hiss  of  derision  to  him. 

He  had  failed.  Having  failed,  he  for  the  first  time 
perceived  the  wildness  of  a  plot  that  had  previously 
appeared  to  him  as  one  of  the  Yorkshire  Morsfield's 
moves  to  win  an  object.  Traditionally  they  stopped  at 
nothing.  There  would  have  been  a  sunburst  of  notoriety 
in  the  capture  and  carrying  off  of  the  beautiful  Countess 
of  Ormont. 

She  had  eluded  him  during  the  downward  journey  to 
Steignton.  He  came  on  her  track  at  the  village  at  the 
junction  of  the  roads  above  Ashead,  and  thence,  confid- 
ing in  the  half-connivanee  or  utter  stupidity  of  the  fair 


294  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

one's  duenna,  despatched  a  mounted  man-servant  to  his 
coachman  and  footmen,  stationed  ten  miles  behind,  with 
orders  that  they  should  drive  forthwith  to  the  great 
plain  and  be  ready  at  a  point  there  for  two  succeeding 
days.  That  was  the  plot,  promptly  devised  upon  receipt 
of  Mrs.  Pagnell's  communication ;  for  the  wealthy  man 
of  pleasure  was  a  strategist  fit  to  be  a  soldier,  in  dex- 
terity not  far  from  rivalling  the  man  by  Avhom  he  had 
been  outdone. 

An  ascetic  on  the  road  to  success,  he  dedicated  himself 
to  a  term  of  hard  drinking  under  a  reverse ;  and  the 
question  addressed  to  the  chief  towns  in  the  sketch 
counties  his  head  contained  was,  wliic^  one  near  would 
be  likely  to  supply  the  port  wine  for  floating  him 
through  garlanding  dreams  of  possession  most  tastily 
to  blest  oblivion. 

He  was  a  lover,  nevertheless,  honest  in  his  fashion, 
and  meant  not  worse  than  to  pull  his  lady  through  a 
mire,  and  wash  her  with  Morsfield  soap,  and  crown  her, 
and  worship.  She  was  in  his  blood,  about  him,  above 
hiin ;  he  had  plunged  into  her  image,  as  into  deeps  that 
broke  away  in  phosphorescent  waves  on  all  sides,  reflect- 
ing every  remembered,  every  imagined,  aspect  of  the 
adored  beautiful  woman  piercing  him  to  extinction  with 
that  last  look  of  her  at  the  moment  of  flight. 

Had  he  been  just  a  trifle  more  sincere  in  the  respect 
he  professed  for  his  lady's  duenna,  he  would  have  turned 
on   the  road  to   Dornton   and   a   better   fortune.     Mrs. 


THE  PURSUERS  295 

Pagnell  had  now  become  the  ridiculous  Paggy  of  Mrs. 
Lawrence  Finchley  and  her  circle  for  the  hypocritical 
gentleman ;  and  he  remarked  to  Captain  Cumnock,  when 
their  mutual  trot  was  established :  "  Paggy  enough  for 
me  for  a  month  —  good  Lord !  I  can't  stand  another  dose 
of  her  by  herself." 

"  It's  a  bird  that  won't  roast  or  boil  or  stew,"  said  the 
captain. 

They  were  observed  trotting  along  below  by  Lord 
Ormont's  groom  of  the  stables  on  promotion,  as  he 
surveyed  the  country  from  the  chalk-hill  rise  and 
brought  the  phaeton  to  a  stand,  Jonathan  Boon,  a  sharp 
lad,  whose  comprehension  was  a  little  muddled  by  "  the 
rights  of  it"  in  this  adventure.  He  knew,  however,  that 
he  did  well  to  follow  the  directions  of  one  who  was  in 
his  lordship's  pay,  and  stretched  out  the  fee  with  the  air 
of  a  shake  of  the  hand,  and  had  a  look  of  the  winning 
side,  moreover.     A  born  countryman  could  see  that. 

Boon  watched  the  pair  of  horsemen  trotting  to  con- 
fusion, and  clicked  in  his  cheek.  The  provincial  of  the 
period  when  coaches  were  beginning  to  be  threatened  by 
talk  of  new-fangled  rails  was  proud  to  boast  of  his  out- 
witting Londoners  on  material  points;  and  Boon  had 
numerous  tales  of  how  it  had  been  done,  to  have  the 
laugh  of  fellows  thinking  themselves  such  razors.  They 
compensated  him  for  the  slavish  abasement  of  his  whole 
neighbourhood  under  the  hectoring  of  the  grand  new 
manufacture  of  wit  in   London:  —  the  inimitable  Met- 


296  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

ropolitan  pun,  which  came  down  to  the  country  by  four- 
in-hand,  and  stopped  all  other  conversation  wherever  it 
was  reported,  and  would  have  the  roar  —  there  was  no 
resisting  it.  Indeed,  to  be  able  to  see  the  thing  smartly 
was  an  entry  into  community  with  the  elect  of  the 
district ;  and  when  the  roaring  ceased,  and  the  thing  was 
examined,  astonishment  at  the  cleverness  of  it,  and  the 
wonderful  shallowness  of  the  seeming  deep  hole,  and  the 
unexhausted  bang  it  had  to  go  ofE  like  a  patent  cracker, 
fetched  it  out  for  telling  over  again ;  and  up  went  the 
roar,  and  up  it  went  at  home  and  in  stable  yards,  and  at 
the  next  puffing  of  churchwardens  on  a  summer  bench, 
or  in  a  cricket-booth  after  the  feast,  or  round  the  old 
inn's  taproom  fire.  The  pun,  the  wonderful  bo-peep  of 
double  meanings  darting  out  to  surprise  and  smack  one 
another  from  behind  words  of  the  same  sound,  sometimes 
the  same  spelling,  overwhelmed  the  provincial  mind  with 
awe  of  London's  occult  and  prolific  genius. 

Yet  down  yonder  you  may  behold  a  pair  of  London 
gentlemen  trotting  along  on  as  fine  a  fool's  errand  as 
ever  was  undertaken  by  nincompoops  bearing  a  sealed 
letter,  marked  urgent,  to  a  castle,  and  the  request  in  it 
that  the  steward  would  immediately  upon  perusal  down 
Avith  their  you-know-what  and  hoist  them  and  birch 
them  a  jolly  two  dozen  without  parley. 

Boon  smacked  his  leg,  and  then  drove  ahead  merrily. 

For  this  had  happened  to  his  knowledge  :  the  gentle- 
man accompanying  the  lady  had  refused  to  make  any- 


AT   THE   SIGN   OF   THE   JOLLY   CRICKETERS       297 

thing  of  a  halt  at  the  Eed  Lion,  and  had  said  he  was 
sure  there  would  be  a  small  public-house  at  the  outskirts 
of  the  town,  for  there  always  was  one;  and  he  proved 
right,  and  the  lady  and  he  had  descended  at  the  sign 
of  the  Jolly  Cricketers,  and  Boon  had  driven  on  for 
half  an  hour  by  order. 

This,  too,  had  happened,  external  to  Boon's  knowl- 
edge :  the  lady  and  the  gentleman  had  witnessed,  through 
the  small  diamond  window-panes  of  the  Jolly  Cricketers' 
parlour,  the  passing-by  of  the  two  horsemen  in  pursuit 
of  them;  and  the  gentleman  had  stopped  the  chariot 
coming  on  some  fifteen  minutes  later,  but  he  did  not  do 
it  at  the  instigation  of  the  lady. 


CHAPTER  XX 

AT    THE    SIGN    OF    THE    JOLLY    CRICKETERS 

The  passing-by  of  the  pair  of  horsemen,  who  so  little 
suspected  the  treasure  existing  behind  the  small  inn's 
narrow  window,  did  homage  in  Aminta's  mind  to  her 
protector's  adroitness.  Their  eyes  met  without  a  smile, 
though  they  perceived  the  grisly  comic  of  the  incident. 
Their  thoughts  were  on  the  chariot  to  follow. 

Aminta  had  barely  uttered  a  syllable  since  the  start 
of  the  flight  from  Ashead.  She  had  rocked  in  a  swing 
between  sensation  and  imagination,  exultant,  rich  with 


298  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

the  broad  valley  of  the  plain  and  the  high  green  waves 
of  the  downs  at  their  giant's  bound  in  the  flow  of  curves 
and  sunny  creases  to  the  final  fling-off  of  the  dip  on  sky. 
Here  was  a  twisted  hawthorn  carved  clean  to  the  way 
of  the  wind;  a  sheltered  clump  of  chestnuts  holding 
their  blossoms  up,  as  with  a  thousand  cresset-clasping 
hands ;  here  were  grasses  that  nodded  swept  from  green 
to  grey;  flowers  yellow,  white  and  blue,  significant  of 
a  marvellous  unknown  through  the  gates  of  colour ;  and 
gorse-covers  giving  out  the  bird,  squares  of  young  wheat, 
a  single  fallow  threaded  by  a  hare,  and  cottage  gar- 
dens, shadowy  garths,  wayside  flint-heaps,  woods  of  the 
mounds  and  the  dells,  fluttering  leaves,  clouds :  all  were 
swallowed,  all  were  the  one  unworded  significance. 
Scenery  flew,  shifted,  returned;  again  the  line  of  the 
downs  raced  and  the  hollows  reposed  simultaneously. 
They  were  the  same  in  change  to  an  eye  grown  older ; 
they  promised,  as  at  the  first,  happiness  for  reckless- 
ness. The  whole  woman  was  urged  to  delirious  reck- 
lessness in  happiness,  and  she  drank  the  flying  scenery 
as  an  indication,  a  likeness,  an  encouragement. 

When  her  wild  music  of  the  blood  had  fallen  to  still- 
ness with  the  stopped  wheels,  she  was  in  the  musky, 
small,  low  room  of  the  diamond  window-panes,  at  her 
companion's  disposal  for  what  he  might  deem  the  best : 
he  was  her  fate.  But  the  more  she  leaned  on  a  man  of 
self-control,  the  more  she  admired;  and  an  admiration 
that  may  not  speak  itself  to  the  object  present  drops 


AT   THE   SIGN   OF   THE   JOLLY   CRICKETERS       299 

inward,  stirs  the  founts ;  and  if  these  are  repressed, 
the  tenderness  which  is  not  allowed  to  weep  Avill  drown 
self-pity,  hardening  the  woman  to  summon  scruples  in 
relation  to  her  unworthiness.  He  might  choose  to  for- 
get, but  the  more  she  admired,  the  less  could  her 
feminine  conscience  permit  of  an  utter  or  of  any  forget- 
fulness  that  she  was  not  the  girl  Browny,  whom  he  once 
loved  —  perhaps  loved  now,  under  some  illusion  of  his 
old  passion  for  her  —  does  love  now,  ill-omened  as  he 
is  in  that !  She  read  him  by  her  startled  reading  of  her 
own  heart,  and  she  constrained  her  will  to  keep  from 
doing,  saying,  looking  aught  that  would  burden  without 
gracing  his  fortunes.  For,  as  she  felt,  a  look,  a  word,  a 
touch  would  do  the  mischief;  she  had  no  resistance 
behind  her  cold  face,  only  the  physical  scruple,  which 
would  become  the  moral  unworthiness  if  in  any  way  she 
induced  hini  to  break  his  guard  and  blow  hers  to  shreds. 
An  honourable  conscience  before  the  world  has  not  the 
same  certificate  in  love's  pure  realm.  They  are  different 
kingdoms.  A  girl  may  be  of  both ;  a  married  woman, 
peering  outside  the  narrow  circle  of  her  wedding-ring, 
should  let  her  eyelids  fall  and  the  unseen  fires  consume 
her. 

Their  common  thought  was  now,  Will  the  chariot 
follow  ? 

What  will  he  do  if  it  comes  ?  was  an  unformed  ques- 
tion with  Aminta. 

He  had  formed  and  not  answered  it,  holding  himself, 


300  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

sincerely  at  the  moment,  bound  to  her  wishes.  Near  the 
end  of  Ashead  main  street  she  had  turned  to  him  in  her 
seat  beside  the  driver,  and  conveyed  silently,  with  the 
dental  play  of  her  tongue  and  pouted  lips,  "  No  title." 

Upon  that  sign,  waxen  to  those  lips,  he  had  said  to 
the  driver,  "You  took  your  orders  from  Lady  Char- 
lotte ?  " 

And  the  reply,  "  Her  ladyship  directed  me,  sir,"  exon- 
erated Lord  Ormont  so  far. 

Weyburn  remembered  then  a  passage  of  one  of  her 
steady  looks,  wherein  an  oracle  was  mute.  He  tried 
several  of  the  diviner's  shots  to  interpret  it :  she  was 
beyond  his  reach.  She  was  in  her  blissful  delirium  of 
the  flight,  and  reproached  him  with  giving  her  the  little 
bit  less  to  resent  —  she  Avho  had  no  sense  of  resentment, 
except  the  claim  on  it  to  excuse. 

Their  landlady  entered  the  room  to  lay  the  cloth  for 
tea  and  eggs.  She  made  offer  of  bacon  as  well,  home- 
cured.  She  was  a  Hampshire  woman,  and  understood 
the  rearing  of  pigs.  Her  husband  had  been  a  cricketer, 
and  played  for  his  county.  He  didn't  often  beat  Hamp- 
shire !  They  had  a  good  garden  of  vegetables,  and  grass- 
land enough  for  two  cows.  They  made  their  own  bread, 
their  own  butter,  but  did  not  brew. 

Weyburn  pronounced  for  a  plate  of  her  home-cured. 
She  had  children,  the  woman  told  him  —  two  boys  and  a 
girl.  Her  husband  wished  for  a  girl.  Her  eldest  boy 
wished  to  be  a  sailor,  and  would  walk  miles  to  a  pond , 


AT   THE   SIGN   OF   THE   JOLLY   CRICKETERS       301 

to  sail  bits  of  wood  on  it,  though  there  had  never  been  a 
seafaring  man  in  her  husband's  family  or  her  own.  She 
agreed  with  the  lady  and  gentleman  that  it  might  be  un- 
wise to  go  contrary  to  the  boy's  bent.  Going  to  school 
or  coming  home,  a  trickle  of  water  would  stop  him. 

Aminta  said  to  her  companion,  in  French,  "  Have  you 
money  ?  " 

She  chased  his  blood. 

"  Some  :  sufficient,  I  think." 

It  stamped  their  partnership. 

"  I  have  but  a  small  amount.  Aunt  was  our  pay- 
master. We  will  buy  the  little  boy  a  boat  to  sail.  You 
are  pale." 

"  I've  no  notion  of  it." 

"  Something  happened  at  Ashead." 

"  It  would  not  have  damaged  my  complexion." 

He  counted  his  money.  Aminta  covertly  handed  him 
her  purse.  Their  fingers  touched.  The  very  minor  cir- 
cumstance of  their  landlady  being  in  the  room  dammed 
a  flood. 

Her  money  and  his  amounted  to  seventeen  pounds. 
The  sum  total  was  a  symbol  of  days  that  were  a  fiery 
wheel. 

Honour  and  blest  adventure  might  travel  together  two 
days  or  three,  he  thought.  If  the  chariot  did  not  pass  : 
—  Lord  Ormont  had  willed  it.  A  man  could  not  be  said 
to  swerve  in  his  duty  when  acting  to  fulfil  the  master's 
orders;    and  Mrs.    Pagnell   was    proved   a   hoodwinked 

.TATE  TEACHERS  COLUEOt 


302  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

duenna,  and  Morsfield  was  in  the  air.  The  breathing 
Aminta  had  now  a  common  purse  with  her  first  lover. 
For  three  days  or  more  they  were,  it  would  seem,  to 
journey  together,  alone  together :  the  prosecution  of  his 
duty  imposed  it  on  him.  Sooth  to  say,  Weyburn  knew 
that  a  spice  of  passion  added  to  a  bowl  of  reason  makes 
a  sophist's  mess  ;  but  he  fancied  an  absolute  reliance  on 
Aminta's  dignity,  and  his  respect  for  her  was  another 
barrier.  He  begged  the  landlady's  acceptance  of  two 
shillings  for  her  boy's  purchase  of  a  boat,  advising  her  to 
have  him  taught  early  to  swim.  Both  he  and  Aminta 
had  a  feeling  that  they  could  be  helpful  in  some  little 
things  on  the  road  if  the  chariot  did  not  pass. 

Justification  began  to  speak  loudly  against  the  stopping 
of  the  chariot  if  it  did  pass.  The  fact  that  sweet  wishes 
came  second,  and  not  so  loudly,  assured  him  they  were 
quite  secondary ;  for  the  lover  sunk  to  sophist,  may  be 
self-beguiled  by  the  arts  which  render  him  the  potent 
beguile  r. 

"We  are  safe  here,"  he  said,  and  thrilled  her  with 
the  "we"  behind  the  curtaining  leaded  window-panes. 

"What  is  it  you  propose?"  Her  voice  was  lower 
than  she  intended.  To  that  she  ascribed  his  vivid  flush. 
It  kindled  the  deeper  of  her  dark  hue. 

He  mentioned  her  want  of  luggage,  and  the  purchase 
of  a  kit. 

She  said  :  "  Have  we  the  means  ?  " 

"  We  can  adjust  the  means  to  the  ends." 


AT   THE   SIGN   OF   THE   JOLLY   CRICKETERS       303 

"  We  must  be  sparing  of  expenses." 

"  Will  you  walk  part  of  the  way  ?  " 

"I  should  like  it." 

"  We  shall  be  longer  on  the  journey." 

"  We  shall  not  find  it  tiresome,  I  hope," 

"We  can  say  so,  if  we  do." 

"We  are  not  strangers." 

The  recurrence  of  the  ''we"  had  an  effect  of  wedding: 
it  was  fatalistic,  it  would  come ;  but,  in  truth,  there  was 
pleasure  in  it,  and  the  pleasure  was  close  to  conscious- 
ness of  some  guilt  when  vowing  itself  innocent. 

And,  no,  they  were  not  strangers ;  hardly  a  word 
could  they  utter  without  cutting  memory  to  the  quick ; 
their  present  breath  was  out  of  the  far  past. 

Love  told  them  both  that  they  were  trembling  into 
one  another's  arms,  not  voluntarily,  against  the  will 
with  each  of  them ;  they  knew  it  would  be  for  life  ;  and 
Aminta's  shamed  reserves  were  matched  to  make  an 
obstacle  by  his  consideration  for  her  good  name  and  her 
station,  for  his  own  claims  to  honest  citizenship  also. 

Weyburn  acted  on  his  instinct  at  sight  of  the  pos- 
tilion and  the  chariot;  he  flung  the  window  wide  and 
shouted.  Then  he  said,  "  It  is  decided,"  and  he  felt  the 
Tightness  of  the  decision,  like  a  man  who  has  given  a 
condemned  limb  to  the  surgeon. 

Aminta  was  placid  as  a  water-weed  in  the  sway  of 
the  tide.  Hearing  it  to  be  decided,  she  was  relieved. 
What  her  secret  heart  desired,  she  kept  secret,  almost  a 


304  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

secret  from  herself.  He  was  not  to  leave  her;  so  she 
had  her  permitted  wish,  she  had  her  companion  plus  her 
exclamatory  aunt,  who  was  a  protection,  and  she  had 
learnt  her  need  of  the  smallest  protection. 

"  I  can  scarcely  believe  I  see  you,  my  dear,  dear 
child  ! "  Mrs.  Pagnell  cried,  upon  entering  the  small 
inn  parlour ;  and  so  genuine  was  her  satisfaction  that 
for  a  time  she  paid  no  heed  to  the  stuffiness  of  the  room, 
the  meanness  of  the  place,  the  unfitness  of  such  a 
hostelry  to  entertain  ladies  —  the  Countess  of  Ormont ! 

"Eat  here?"  Mrs.  Pagnell  asked,  observing  the 
preparations  for  the  meal.  Her  pride  quailed,  her 
stomach  abjured  appetite.  But  she  forbore  from  ask- 
ing how  it  was  that  the  Countess  of  Ormont  had  come  to 
the  place. 

At  a  symptom  of  her  intention  to  indulge  in  disgust, 
Aminta  brought  up  Mr.  Morsfield  by  name  ;  whereupon 
Mrs.  Pagnell  showed  she  had  reflected  on  her  conduct 
in  relation  to  the  gentleman,  and  with  the  fear  of  the 
earl  if  she  were  questioned. 

Home-made  bread  and  butter,  fresh  eggs  and  sparkling 
fat  of  bacon  invited  her  to  satisfy  her  hunger,  Aminta 
let  her  sniff  at  the  teapot  unpunished ;  the  tea  had  a 
rustic  aroma  of  ground-ivy,  reminding  Weyburn  of  his 
mother's  curiosity  to  know  the  object  of  an  old  man's 
plucking  of  hedgeside  leaves  in  the  environs  of  Bruges 
one  day,  and  the  simple  reply  to  her  French,  "  Tea  for 
the   English."     A   hint   of  an   anecdote  interested   and 


AT   THE   SIGN   OF   THE   JOLLY   CRICKETERS       305 

enriched  the  stores  of  Mrs.  Pagnell,  so  she  capped  it  and 
partook  of  the  infusion  ruefully, 

"  But  the  bread  is  really  good,"  she  said,  ''  and  we 
are  unlikely  to  be  seen  leaving  the  place  by  any  person 
of  importance." 

"Unless  Mr.  Morsfield  should  be  advised  to  return 
this  way,"  said  Aminta. 

Her  aunt  proposed  for  a  second  cup.  She  was  a  man- 
ageable woman ;  the  same  scourge  had  its  instant  whole- 
some effect  on  her  when  she  snubbed  the  secretary.  So 
she  complimented  his  trencherman's  knife,  of  which 
the  remarkably  fine  edge  was  proof  enough  that  he  had 
come  heart-whole  out  of  the  trial  of  an  hour  or  so's  inti- 
mate companionship  with  a  beautiful  woman,  who  had 
never  been  loved,  never  could  be  loved  by  man,  as  poor 
Mr.  Morsfield  loved  her!  He  had  sworn  to  having 
fasted  three  whole  days  and  nights  after  his  first  sight 
of  Aminta.  Once,  he  said,  her  eyes  pierced  him  so  that 
he  dreamed  of  a  dagger  in  his  bosom,  and  woke  himself 
plucking  at  it.  That  was  love,  as  a  born  gentleman  con- 
nected with  a  baronetcy  and  richer  than  many  lords 
took  the  dreadful  passion.  A  secretary  would  have  no 
conception  of  such  devoted  extravagance.  At  the  most 
he  might  have  attempted  to  insinuate  a  few  absurd, 
sheepish,  soft  nothings,  and  the  Countess  of  Ormont 
would  know  right  well  how  to  shrivel  him  with  one  of 
her  looks.  No  lady  of  the  land  could  convey  so  much 
either  way,  to  attract  or  to  repel,  as  Aminta,  Countess 


30G  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

of  Orniont !  And  the  man,  the  only  man,  insensible  to 
her  charm  or  her  scorn,  was  her  own  Av^edded  lord  and 
husband.  Old,  to  be  sure,  and  haughty,  his  pride  might 
not  allow  him  to  overlook  poor  Mr.  Morsfield's  uninten- 
tional offence.  Bat  the  presence  of  the  Countess's  aunt 
was  a  reply  to  any  charge  he  might  seek  to  establish. 
Unhappily,  the  case  is  one  between  men  on  their  touch- 
iest point,  when  women  are  pushed  aside,  and  justice 
and  religion  as  well.  We  might  be  living  in  a  heathen 
land,  for  aught  that  morality  has  to  say. 

Mrs.  Pagnell  fussed  about  being  seen  on  her  emer- 
gence from  the  Jolly  Cricketers.  Aminta  sent  Weyburn 
to  spy  for  the  possible  reappearance  of  Mr.  Morsfield. 
He  reported  a  horseman;  a  butcher-boy  clattered  by. 
Aminta  took  the  landlady's  hand,  under  her  aunt's  aston- 
ished gaze,  and  said :  "  I  shall  not  forget  your  house  and 
your  attention  to  us."  She  spoke  with  a  shake  of  her 
voice.  The  landlady  curtseyed  and  smiled,  curtseyed 
and  almost  whimpered.  The  house  was  a  poor  one, 
she  begged  to  say  ;  the}^  didn't  often  have  such  guests, 
but  whoever  came  to  it  they  did  their  best  to  give  good 
food  and  drink.  Hearing  from  Weyburn  that  the 
chariot  was  bound  to  go  through  Winchester,  she  spoke 
of  a  brother,  a  baker  there,  the  last  surviving  member 
of  her  family ;  and,  after  some  talk,  Weyburn  offered 
to  deliver  a  message  of  health  and  greeting  at  the 
baker's  shop.  There  was  a  waving  of  hands,  much  nod- 
ding and  curtseying,  as  the  postilion  resumed  his  derai- 


AT   THE   SIGN    OF   THE   JOLLY   CKICKETERS       307 

volts  —  all  to  the  stupefaction  of  Mrs.  Paguell ;  but  she 
dared  not  speak,  she  had  Morsfield  on  the  mouth.  Nor 
could  she  deny  the  excellent  quality  of  the  bread  and 
butter,  and  milk  too,  at  the  sign  of  the  Jolly  Cricketers. 
She  admitted,  moreover,  that  the  food  and  service  of  the 
little  inn  belonged  in  their  unpretentious  honesty  to  the 
kind  we  call  old  English:  the  dear  old  simple  country 
English  of  the  brotherly  interchange  in  sight  of  heaven 
—  good  stuff  for  good  money,  a  matter  with  a  blessing 
on  it. 

"  But,"  said  she,  "  my  dear  Aminta,  I  do  not  and  I 
cannot  understand  looks  of  grateful  affection  at  a  small 
inn-keeper's  wife  paid,  and  I  don't  doubt  handsomely 
paid,  for  her  entertainment  of  you." 

"I  feel  it,"  said  Aminta;  tears  rushed  to  her  eyelids, 
overflowing,  and  her  features  were  steady. 

"Ah,  poor  dear!  that  I  do  understand,"  her  aunt 
observed.  "  Any  little  kindness  moves  you  to-day ;  and 
well  it  may  ! " 

"  Yes,  aunty,"  said  Aminta ;  and  in  relation  to  the 
cause  of  her  tears  she  was  the  less  candid  of  the  two. 

So  far  did  she  carry  her  thanks  for  a  kindness  as  to 
glance  back  through  her  dropping  tears  at  the  signboard 
of  the  Jolly  Cricketers  ;  where  two  brave  batsmen  cross 
for  the  second  of  a  certain  three  runs,  if  only  the  fellow 
wheeling  legs,  face  up  after  the  ball  in  the  clouds,  does 
but  miss  his  catch  :  a  grand  suspensory  moment  of  the 
game,  admirably  chosen  by  the  artist  to  arrest  the  way- 


308  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

farer  and  promote  speculation.  For  will  he  let  her  slip 
through  his  fingers  when  she  comes  down  ?  or  will  he 
have  her  fast  and  tight  ?  And  in  the  former  case,  the 
bats  are  tearing  their  legs  off  for  just  number  nought. 
And  in  the  latter,  there's  a  wicket  down,  and  what  you 
may  call  a  widower  walking  it  bat  on  shoulder,  parted 
from  his  mate  for  that  mortal  innings,  and  likely  to  get 
more  chaff  than  consolation  when  he  joins  the  booth. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

UNDERCURRENTS    IN    THE    MINDS    OF    LADY    CHARLOTTE 
AND    LORD    ORMONT 

Another  journey  of  travellers  to  London,  in  the  rear 
of  the  chariot,  was  not  diversified  by  a  single  incident  or 
refreshed  by  scraps  of  dialogue.  Lady  Charlotte  had 
her  brother  Rowsley  with  her,  and  he  might  be  taciturn, 
—  she  drove  her  flocks  of  thoughts,  she  was  busily  and 
contentedly  occupied.  Although  separation  from  him 
stirred  her  mind  more  excitedly  over  their  days  and 
deeds  of  boy  and  girl,  her  having  him  near,  and  having 
now  won  him  to  herself,  struck  her  as  that  old  time's 
harvest,  about  as  much  as  can  be  hoped  for  us  from  life, 
when  we  have  tasted  it. 

The  scene  of  the  invasion  of  Steignton  by  the  woman 
and  her  aunt,  and  that  man  Morsfield,  was  a  steel  engrav- 


UNDERCURRENTS  309 

ing  among  her  many  rapid  and  featureless  cogitations. 
She  magnified  the  rakishness  of  the  woman's  hand  on 
hip  in  view  of  the  house,  and  she  magnified  the  woman's 
insolence  in  bringing  that  man  Morsfield  —  to  share 
probably  the  hospitality  of  Steignton  during  the  master's 
absence !  Her  trick  of  caricature,  whenever  she  dealt 
with  adversaries,  was  active  upon  the  three  persons  under 
observation  of  the  windows.  It  was  potent  to  convince 
her  that  her  brother  Rowsley  had  cast  the  woman  to  her 
native  obscurity.  However,  Lady  Charlotte  could  be 
just :  the  woman's  figure,  and  as  far  as  could  be  seen  of 
her  face,  accounted  for  Rowsley's  entanglement. 

Why  chastise  that  man  Morsfield  at  all  ?  Calling  him 
out  would  give  a  further  dip  to  the  name  of  Ormont.  A 
pretty  idea,  to  be  punishing  a  man  for  what  you  thank 
him  for !  He  did  a  service ;  and  if  he's  as  mad  about 
her  as  he  boasts,  he  can  take  her  and  marry  her  now  : 
Eowsley's  free  of  her. 

Morsfield  says  he  wants  to  marry  her — wants  nothing 
better.  Then  let  him.  Rowsley  has  shown  him  there's 
no  legal  impediment.  Pity  that  young  Weyburn  had  to 
be  sent  to  do  watch-dog  duty.  But  Rowsley  would  not 
have  turned  her  back  to  travel  alone :  that  is,  without  a 
man  to  guard.     He's  too  chivalrous. 

The  sending  of  Weyburn,  she  now  fancied,  was  her 
own  doing,  and  Lady  Charlotte  attributed  it  to  her  inter- 
pretation of  her  brother's  heart  of  chivalry ;  though  it 
would  have  been  the  wiser  course,  tending  straight  and 


310  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

swift  to  the  natural  end,  if  the  two  women  and  their 
Morsfield  had  received  the  dismissal  to  travel  as  they 
came. 

One  sees  it  after  the  event.  Yes,  only  Eowsley  would 
not  have  dismissed  her  without  surety  that  she  would  be 
protected.  So  it  was  the  right  thing  prompted  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment.  And  young  Weyburn  Avould 
meet  some  difficulty  in  protecting  his  "  Lady  Ormont,"  if 
she  had  no  inclination  for  it. 

Analysing  her  impulse  of  the  moment,  Lady  Charlotte 
credited  herself,  not  unjustly,  with  a  certain  consider- 
ateness  for  the  woman,  notwithstanding  the  woman's 
violent  intrusion  between  brother  and  sister.  Knowing 
the  world,  and  knowing  the  upper  or  Beanstalk  world 
intimately,  she  Avinked  at  nature's  passions.  But  when 
the  legitimate  affection  of  a  brother  and  sister  finds  them 
interposing,  they  are,  as  little  parsonically  as  possible, 
reproved.  If  persistently  intrusive,  they  are  handed  to 
the  constable. 

How,  supposing  the  case  of  a  wife  ?  Well,  then  comes 
the  contest ;  and  it  is  with  an  inferior,  because  not  a 
born,  legitimacy  of  union;  which  may  be,  which  here 
and  there  is,  affection  ;  is  generally  the  habit  of  partner- 
ship. It  is  inferior,  from  not  being  the  union  of  the 
blood ;  it  is  a  matter  merely  of  the  laws  and  the  tastes. 
No  love,  she  reasoned,  is  equal  to  the  love  of  brother  and 
sister :  not  even  the  love  of  parents  for  offspring,  or  of 
the  children  for  mother  and  father.     Brother  and  sister 


UNDERCURRENTS  311 

have  the  holy  young  days  in  common;  they  have  last- 
ingly the  recollection  of  their  youth,  the  golden  time 
when  they  were  themselves,  or  the  best  of  themselves. 
A  wife  is  a  stranger  from  the  beginning ;  she  is  neces- 
sarily three  parts  a  stranger  up  to  the  finish  of  the  his- 
tory. She  thinks  she  can  absorb  the  husband.  Not  if 
her  husband  has  a  sister  living !  She  may  cry  and  tear 
for  what  she  calls  her  own :  she  will  act  prudently  in 
bowing  her  head  to  the  stronger  tie.  Is  there  a  wife  in 
Europe  who  broods  on  her  husband's  merits  and  his 
injuries  as  the  sister  of  Thomas  Eowsley,  Earl  of  Ormont, 
does  ?  or  one  to  defend  his  good  name,  one  to  work  for 
his  fortunes,  as  devotedly  ? 

Over  and  over  Lady  Charlotte  drove  her  flocks,  of 
much  the  same  pattern,  like  billows  before  a  piping  gale. 
They  might  be  similar  —  a  puffed  iteration,  and  might 
be  meaningless  and  wearisome  ;  the  gale  was  a  power  in 
earnest. 

Her  brother  sat  locked-up.  She  did  as  a  wife  would 
not  have  c^one,  and  held  her  peace.  He  spoke;  she 
replied  in  as  few  words  —  blunt,  to  the  point,  as  no 
wife  would  have  done. 

Her  dear,  warm-hearted  Eowsley  was  shaken  by  the 
blow  he  had  been  obliged  to  deal  to  the  woman  —  poor 
woman!  —  if  she  felt  it.  He  was  always  the  principal 
sufferer  where  the  feelings  were  concerned.  He  was 
never  for  hurting  any  but  the  enemy. 

His  "  Ha,  here  we  dine ! "  an  exclamation  of  a  man  of 


312  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMENTA 

imprisoned  yawns  at  the  apparition  of  the  turnkey,  waa 
delightful  to  her,  for  a  proof  of  health  and  sanity  and 
enjoyment  of  the  journey. 

"Yes,  and  I've  one  bottle  left,  in  the  hamper,  of  the 
hock  you  like,"  she  said.  "  That  Mr.  Weyburn  likes  it, 
too.     He  drank  a  couple,  coming  down." 

She  did  not  press  for  talk  ;  his  ready  appetite  was  the 
flower  of  conversation  to  her.  And  he  slept  well,  he  said. 
Her  personal  experience  on  that  head  was  reserved. 

London  enfolded  them  in  the  late  evening  of  a  day 
brewing  storm.  My  lord  heard  at  the  door  of  his  house 
that  Lady  Ormont  had  not  arrived.  Yet  she  had  started 
a  day  in  advance  of  him.  He  looked  down,  up  and 
round  at  Charlotte.     He  looked  into  an  empty  hall. 

Pagnell  Avas  not  there.  A  sight  of  Pagnell  would, 
strange  to  say,  have  been  agreeable. 

Storm  was  in  the  air,  and  Aminta  was  on  the  road. 
Lightning  has,  before  now,  frightened  carriage-horses. 
She  would  not  misconduct  herself ;  she  would  sit  firm. 
No  woman  in  England  had  stouter  nerve  —  few  men. 
But  the  carriage  might  be  smashed.  He  was  ignorant  of 
the  road  she  had  chosen  for  her  return.  Out  of  Wilt- 
shire there  would  be  no  cliffs,  quarries,  river-banks,  pre- 
senting dangers.  Those  dangers,  however,  spring  up 
when  horses  have  the  frenzy. 

Charlotte  was  nodded  at,  for  a  signal  to  depart;  and 
she  drove  off,  speculating  on  the  bullet  of  a  grey  eye, 
which  was  her  brother's  adieu  to  her. 


UNDERCURRENTS  313 

The  earl  had  apparently  a  curiosity  to  inspect  vacant 
rooms.  His  Aminta's  drawing-room,  her  boudoir,  her 
bedchamber,  were  submissive  in  showing  bed,  knick- 
knacks,  furniture.     They  told  a  tale  of  a  corpse. 

He  washed  and  dressed,  and  went  out  to  his  club  to 
dine ;  hating  the  faces  of  the  servants  of  the  house,  just 
able  to  bear  with  the  attentions  of  his  valet. 

Thunder  was  rattling  at  ten  at  night.  The  house  was 
again  the  tomb. 

She  had  high  courage,  that  girl.  She  might  be  in  a  bed, 
with  her  window-blind  up,  calmly  waiting  for  the  flashes : 
lightning  excited  her.  He  had  seen  her  lying  at  her 
length  quietly,  her  black  hair  scattered  on  the  pillow, 
like  shadow  of  twigs  and  sprays  on  moonlit  grass,  illumi- 
nated intermittently ;  smiling  to  him,  but  her  heart  out 
and  abroad,  wild  as  any  witch's.  If  on  the  road,  she 
would  not  quail.  But  it  was  necessary  to  be  certain  of 
her  having  a  trusty  postilion. 

He  walked  through  the  drench  and  scream  of  a  burst 
cloud  to  the  posting-office.  There,  after  some  trouble, 
he  obtained  information  directing  him  to  the  neighbour- 
ing mews.  He  had  thence  to  find  his  way  to  the  neigh- 
bouring pot-house. 

The  report  of  the  postilion  was,  on  the  whole,  favour- 
able. The  man  understood  horses  —  was  middle-aged  — 
no  sot ;  he  was  also  a  man  with  an  eye  for  weather,  pro- 
verbially in  the  stables  a  cautious  hand — slow.  "Old 
Slow-and-sure,"  he  was  called  ;  by  name,  Joshua  Abnett. 


314  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  Oh,  Joshua  Abnett ! "  said  the  earl,  and  imprinted 
it  on  his  memory,  for  the  service  it  was  to  do  during  the 
night. 

Slow-and-sure  Joshua  Abnett  would  conduct  her  safely, 
barring  accidents.  For  accidents  we  must  all  be  pre- 
pared. She  was  a  heroine  in  an  accident.  The  earl 
recalled  one  and  more  :  her  calm  face,  brightened  eyes, 
easy  laughter.     Hysterics  were  not  in  her  family. 

She  did  wrong  to  let  that  fellow  Morsfield  accompany 
her.  Possibly  he  had  come  across  her  on  the  road,  and 
she  could  not  shake  him  off.  Judging  by  all  he  knew  of 
her,  the  earl  believed  she  would  not  have  brought  the 
fellow  into  the  grounds  of  Steignton  of  her  free  will. 
She  had  always  a  particular  regard  for  decency. 

According  to  the  rumour,  Morsfield  and  the  woman 
Pagnell  were  very  thick  together.  He  barked  over 
London  of  his  being  a  bitten  dog.  He  was  near  to  the 
mad  dog's  fate,  as  soon  as  a  convenient  apology  for  stop- 
ping his  career  could  be  invented. 

The  thinking  of  the  lesson  to  Morsfield  on  the  one 
hand,  and  of  the  slow-and-sure  postilion  Joshua  Abnett 
on  the  other,  lulled  Lord  Orraont  to  a  short  repose  in 
his  desolate  house.  Of  Weyburn  he  had  a  glancing 
thought,  that  the  young  man  would  be  a  good  dog  to 
guard  the  countess  from  a  mad  dog,  as  he  had  reckoned 
in  commissioning  him. 

Next  day  was  the  day  of  sunlight  Aminta  loved. 

It  happens  with  the  men  who  can  strike,  supposing 


UNDERCURRENTS  315 

them  of  the  order  of  civilised  creatures,  that  when 
they  have  struck  heavily,  however  deserved  the  blow,  a 
liking  for  the  victim  will  assail  them,  if  they  discover 
no  support  in  hatred ;  and  no  sooner  is  the  spot  of  soft- 
ness touched  than  they  are  invaded  by  hosts  of  the 
stricken  person's  qualities,  Avhich  plead  to  be  taken  as 
virtues,  and  are  persuasive.  The  executioner  did  rightly. 
But  it  is  the  turn  for  the  victim  to  declare  the  blow 
excessive. 

Now,  a  just  man,  who  has  overdone  the  stroke,  will 
indemnify  and  console  in  every  way,  short  of  humiliat- 
ing himself. 

He  had  an  unusually  clear  vision  of  the  scene  at 
Steignton.  Surprise  and  wrath  obscured  it  at  the  mo- 
ment, for  reflection  to  bring  it  out  in  sharp  outline ;  and 
he  was  able  now  to  read  and  translate  into  inoffensive 
English  the  inherited  Spanish  of  it,  which  violated  noth- 
ing of  Aminta's  native  donaijre,  though  it  might  look  on 
English  soil  outlandish  or  stagey. 

Aminta  stood  in  sunlight  on  the  greensward.  She 
stood  hand  on  hip,  gazing  at  the  house  she  had  so  long 
desired  to  see,  without  a  notion  that  she  committed  an 
offence.  Implicitly  upon  all  occasions  she  took  her  hus- 
band's word  for  anything  he  stated,  and  she  did  not  con- 
sequently imagine  him  to  be  at  Steignton.  So,  then, 
she  had  no  thought  of  running  down  from  London  to 
hunt  and  confound  him,  as  at  first  it  appeared.  The 
presence   of  that  white-faced  Morsfield  vindicated   her 


316  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

sufficiently  so  far.  And  let  that  fellow  hang  till  the 
time  for  cutting  him  down !  Not  she,  but  Pagnell,  seems 
to  have  been  the  responsible  party.  And,  by  the  way, 
one  might  prick  the  affair  with  Morsfield  by  telling  him 
publicly  that  his  visit  to  inspect  Steignton  was  waste  of 
pains,  for  he  would  not  be  accepted  as  a  tenant  in  the 
kennels,  et  cetera. 

Well,  poor  girl,  she  satisfied  her  curiosity,  not  aware 
that  a  few  weeks  farther  on  would  have  done  it  to  the 
full. 

As  to  Morsfield,  never  once,  either  in  Vienna  or  in 
Paris,  had  she,  warmly  admired  though  she  was,  all  eyes 
telescoping  and  sun-glassing  on  her,  given  her  husband  an 
hour  or  half  au  hour  or  two  minutes  of  anxiety.  Letters 
came.     The  place  getting  hot,  she  proposed  to  leave  it. 

She  had  been  rather  hardly  tried.  There  are  flowers 
we  cannot  keep  growing  in  pots.  Her  fault  was,  that 
instead  of  flinging  down  her  glove  and  fighting  it  out 
openly,  she  listened  to  Pagnell,  and  began  the  game  of 
Pull.  If  he  had  a  zest  for  the  game,  it  was  to  stump  the 
woman  Pagnell.  So  the  veteran  fancied  in  his  amended 
mind. 

This  intrusive  sunlight  chased  him  from  the  breakfast- 
table  and  out  of  the  house.  She  would  be  enjoying  it 
somewhere ;  but  the  house  empty  of  a  person  it  was  used 
to  contain  had  an  atmosphere  of  the  vaults,  and  inside 
it  the  sunlight  she  loved  had  an  effect  of  taunting  him 
singularly. 


UNDERCURRENTS  317 

He  called  on  his  upholsterer  and  heard  news  to  please 
her.  The  house  hired  for  a  month  above  Great  Marlow 
was  ready;  her  ladyship  could  enter  it  to-morrow.  It 
pleased  my  lord  to  think  that  she  might  do  so,  and  not 
bother  him  any  more  about  the  presentation  at  Court 
during  the  current  year.  In  spite  of  certain  overtures 
from  the  military  authorities,  and  roused  eulogistic  cita- 
tions of  his  name  in  the  newspapers  and  magazines,  he 
was  not  on  friendly  terms  with  his  country  yet,  having 
contracted  the  fatal  habit  of  irony,  which,  whether  hit- 
ting or  missing  its  object,  stirs  old  venom  in  our  wound, 
twitches  the  feelings.  Unfortunately  for  him,  they  had 
not  adequate  expression  unless  he  raged  within ;  so  he 
had  to  shake  up  wrath  over  his  grievances,  that  he  might 
be  satisfactorily  delivered;  and  he  was  judged  irrecon- 
cilable when  he  had  subsided  into  the  quietest  contempt, 
from  the  prospective  seat  of  a  country  estate,  in  the  soci- 
ety of  a  young  wife  who  adored  him. 

An  exile  from  the  sepulchre  of  that  house  void  of  the 
consecration  of  ashes,  he  walked  the  streets  and  became 
reconciled  to  street  sunlight.  There  were  no  carriage 
accidents  to  disturb  him  with  apprehensions.  Besides, 
the  slowness  of  the  postilion  Joshua  Abnett,  which 
probably  helped  to  the  delay,  was  warrant  of  his  sure- 
ness.  And  in  an  accident  the  stringy  fellow,  young 
Weyburn,  could  be  trusted  for  giving  his  attention  to 
the  ladies — especially  to  the  younger  of  the  two,  taking 
him  for  the  man  his  elders  were  at  his  age.     As  for 


318  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Pagnell,  a  Providence  watches  over  the  Pagnells !  Mor- 
tals have  no  business  to  interfere. 

An  accident  on  water  would  be  a  frolic  to  his  girl. 
Swimming  was  a  gift  she  had  from  nature.  Pagnell 
vowed  she  swam  out  a  mile  at  Dover  when  she  was 
twelve.  He  had  seen  her  in  blue  water;  he  had  seen 
her  readiness  to  jump  to  the  rescue  once  when  a  market- 
woman,  stepping  out  of  a  boat  to  his  yacht  on  the  Tagus, 
plumped  in.  She  had  the  two  kinds  of  courage  —  the 
impulsive  and  the  reasoned.  What  is  life  to  man  or 
woman  if  we  are  not  to  live  it  honourably  ?  Men  wor- 
thy of  the  name  say  this.  The  woman  Avho  says  and 
acts  on  it  is  —  well,  she  is  fit  company  for  them.  But 
only  the  woman  of  natural  courage  can  say  it  and  act 
on  it. 

Would  she  come  by  Winchester,  or  choose  the  lower 
road  by  Salisbury  and  Southampton,  to  smell  the  sea? 
perhaps  —  like  her! — dismissing  the  chariot  and  hiring 
a  yacht  for  a  voyage  round  the  coast  and  up  the  Thames. 
She  had  an  extraordinary  love  of  the  sea,  yet  she  pre- 
ferred soldiers  to  sailors.  A  woman  ?  Never  one  of 
them  more  a  woman  !  But  it  came  of  her  quickness  to 
take  the  colour  and  share  the  tastes  of  the  man  to  whom 
she  gave  herself. 

My  lord  was  beginning  to  distinguish  qualities  in  a 
character. 

He  was  informed  at  the  mews  that  Joshua  Abnett 
was  on  the  road  still.     Joshua  seemed  to  be  a  roadster 


UNDERCUERENTS  319 

of  uncommon  miprogressiveness,  proper  to  a  framed 
picture. 

While  debating  whether  to  lunch  at  his  loathed  club  or 
at  a  home  loathed  more,  but  open  to  bright  enlivenment 
any  instant,  Lord  Ormont  beheld  a  hat  lifted  and  Cap- 
tain May  saluting  him.  They  were  near  a  famous  gam- 
bling-house in  St.  James's  Street. 

"Good!  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  he  said.  "Tell  me: 
you  know  Mr.  Morsfield  pretty  well.  I'm  speakiug  of 
my  affair.  He  has  been  trespassing  down  on  my  grounds 
at  Steignton,  and  I  think  of  taking  the  prosecution  of 
him  into  my  own  hands.     Is  he  in  town  ?  " 

"  I've  just  left  his  lame  devil  Cumnock,  my  lord,"  said 
May,  after  a  slight  grimace.  "  They  generally  run  in 
tandem." 

"  Will  you  let  me  know  ?  " 

**  At  once,  when  I  hear." 

"  You  will  call  on  me  ?     Before  noon  ?  " 

"Any  service  required." 

"  My  respects  to  your  wife." 

"  Your  lordship  is  very  good." 

Captain  May  bloomed  at  a  civility  paid  to  his  wife. 
He  was  a  smallish,  springy,  firm-faced  man,  devotee  of 
the  lady  bearing  his  name  and  wielding  him.  In  the 
days  when  duelling  flourished  on  our  land,  frail  women 
could  be  powerful. 

The  earl  turned  from  him  to  greet  Lord  Adderwood 
and  a  superior  officer  of  his  profession,  on  whom  he 


320  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

dropped  a  frigid  nod.  He  held  that  all  but  the  rank  and 
file,  and  a  few  subalterns,  of  the  service  had  abandoned 
him  to  do  homage  to  the  authorities.  The  club  he  fre- 
quented was  not  his  military  club.  Indeed,  lunching  at 
at  any  club  in  solitariness  that  day,  with  Aminta  away 
from  home,  was  bitter  penance.  He  was  rejoiced  by 
Lord  Adderwood's  invitation,  and  hung  to  him  after  the 
lunch ;  for  a  horrible  prospect  of  a  bachelor  dinner  inti- 
mated astonishingly  that  he  must  have  become  unawares 
a  domesticated  man. 

The  solitary  later  meal  of  a  bachelor  was  consumed, 
if  the  word  will  suit  a  rabbit's  form  of  feeding.  He 
fatigued  his  body  by  walking  the  streets  and  the  bridge 
of  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  he  had  some  sleep 
under  a  roof  where  a  lifelike  death,  or  death  aping  life, 
would  have  seemed  to  him  the  Joshua  Abnett,  if  he  had 
been  one  to  take  up  images. 

Next  day  he  was  under  the  obligation  to  wait'at  home 
till  noon.  Shortly  before  noon  a  noise  of  wheels  drew 
him  to  the  window.  A  young  lady,  in  whom  he  recog- 
nised Aminta's  little  school  friend,  of  some  name,  stepped 
out  of  a  fly.     He  met  her  in  the  hall. 

She  had  expected  to  be  welcomed  by  Aminta,  and  she 
was  very  timid  on  finding  herself  alone  with  the  earl. 
He,  however,  treated  her  as  the  harbinger  bird,  wryneck 
of  the  nightingale,  sure  that  Aminta  would  keep  her 
appointment  unless  an  accident  delayed.  He  had  for- 
gotten her  name,  but  not  her  favourite  pursuit  of  botany ; 


UNDERCURRENTS  321 

and  upon  that  he  discoursed,  and  lie  was  interested,  not 
quite  independently  of  the  sentiment  of  her  being  there 
as  a  guarantee  of  Aminta's  return.  Still  he  knew  his 
English  earth,  and  the  counties  and  soil  for  particular 
wild-flowers,  grasses,  mosses ;  and  he  could  instruct  her 
and  inspire  a  receptive  pupil  on  the  theme  of  birds, 
beasts,  fishes,  insects,  in  England  and  other  lands. 

He  remained  discoursing  without  much  weariness  till 
four  of  the  afternoon.  Then  he  had  his  reward.  The 
chariot  was  at  the  door,  and  the  mounted  figure  of  Joshua 
Abnett,  on  which  he  cast  not  a  look  or  a  thought. 

Aminta  was  alone.  She  embraced  Selina  Collett 
warmly,  and  said,  in  friendly  tones,  "  Ah !  my  lord,  you 
are  in  advance  of  me." 

She  had  dropped  Mrs.  Pagnell  and  Mr.  Weyburn  at 
two  suburban  houses  ;  working  upon  her  aunt's  dread  of 
the  earl's  interrogations  as  regarded  Mr.  Morsfield.  She 
had,  she  said,  chosen  to  take  the  journey  easily  on  her 
return,  and  enjoyed  it  greatly. 

My  lord  studied  her  manner  more  than  her  speech. 
He  would  have  interpreted  a  man's  accurately  enough. 
He  read  hers  to  signify  that  she  had  really  enjoyed  her 
journey,  "  made  the  best  of  it,"  and  did  not  intend  to  be 
humble  about  her  visit  to  Steignton  without  his  permis- 
sion ;  but  that,  if  hurt  at  the  time,  she  had  recovered  her 
spirits,  and  was  ready  for  a  shot  or  two — to  be  nothing 
like  a  pitched  battle.  And  she  might  fire  away  to  her 
heart's  content :  wordy  retorts  would  not  come  from  him ; 
y 


822  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

lie  had  material  surprises  in  reserve  for  her.  His  ques- 
tion concerning  Morsfield  knew  its  answer,  and  would 
only  be  put  under  pressure. 

Comparison  of  the  friends  Aminta  and  Selina  was 
forced  by  their  standing  together,  and  the  representation 
in  little  Selina  of  the  inferiority  of  the  world  of  women 
to  his  Aminta;  he  thought  of  several,  and  splendid 
women,  foreign  and  English.  The  comparison  rose 
sharply  now,  with  Aminta's  novel,  airy,  homel}^,  un- 
challengiug  assumption  of  an  equal  footing  beside  her 
lord,  in  looks  and  in  tones  that  had  cast  off  constraint  of 
the  adoring  handmaid,  to  show  the  full-blown  woman, 
rightful  queen  of  her  half  of  the  dominion.  Between 
the  Aminta  of  then  and  now,  the  difference  was  marked 
as  between  Northern  and  Southern  women :  the  frozen- 
mouthed  Northerner  and  the  pearl  and  rose-lipped 
Southerner ;  those  who  smirk  in  dropping  congealed 
monosyllables,  and  those  who  radiantly  laugh  out  the 
voluble  chatter. 

Conceiving  this  to  the  full  in  a  mind  destitute  of 
imagery,  but  indicative  of  the  thing  as  clearly  as  the 
planed,  unpolished  woodwork  of  a  cabinet  in  a  carpen- 
ter's shop,  Lord  Orniont  liked  her  the  better  for  the 
change,  though  she  was  not  the  woman  whose  absence 
from  his  house  had  caused  him  to  go  mooning  half  a 
night  through  the  streets,  and  though  it  forewarned  him 
of  a  tougher  bit  of  battle,  if  battle  there  was  to  be. 

He  was  a  close  reader  of  surfaces.     But,  in  truth,  the 


CONTENTION   OF   BROTHER   AND   SISTER         323 

change  so  notable  came  of  the  circumstance,  that  some 
little  way  down  below  the  surface  he  perused,  where 
heart  weds  mind,  or  nature  joins  intellect,  for  the  two  to 
beget  a  resolution,  the  battle  of  the  man  and  tl^e  woman 
had  been  fought,  and  the  man  beaten. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


TREATS     OF     THE     FIRST     DAY    OF     THE     CONTENTION     OF 
BROTHER    AND    SISTER 

In  the  contest  raging  at  mid-sea  still  between  the  man 
and  the  woman,  it  is  the  one  who  is  hard  to  the  attrac- 
tions of  the  other  that  will  make  choice  of  the  spot  and 
have  the  advantages.  A  short  time  earlier  Lord  Ormont 
could  have  marked  it  out  at  his  leisure.  He  would  have 
been  unable  to  comprehend  why  it  was  denied  him  to  do 
so  now ;  for  he  was  master  of  himself,  untroubled  by 
conscience,  unaware,  since  he  was  assured  of  his  Aminta's 
perfect  safety  and  his  restored  sense  of  possession,  that 
any  taint  of  softness  in  him  had  reversed  the  conditions 
of  their  alliance.  He  felt  benevolently  the  much  he  had 
to  bestow,  and  was  about  to  bestow.  Meanwhile,  with- 
out complicity  on  his  part,  without  his  knowledge,  yet 
absolutely  involving  his  fate,  the  battle  had  gone  against 
him  in  Aminta's  breast. 

Like  many  of  his  class  and  kind,  he  was  thoroughly 


324  LOED   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

acquainted  with  the  physical  woman,  and  lie  took  that 
first  and  very  engrossing  volume  of  the  great  Book  of 
Mulier  for  all  the  history.  A  powerful  wing  of  imagi- 
nation, strong  as  the  flappers  of  the  great  Roc  of  Arabian 
story,  is  needed  to  lift  the  known  physical  woman  even 
a  very  little  way  up  into  azure  heavens.  It  is  far  easier 
to  take  a  snap-shot  at  the  psychic,  and  tumble  her  down 
from  her  fictitious  heights  to  earth.  The  mixing  of  the 
two  makes  nonsense  of  her.  She  was  created  to  attract 
the  man,  for  an  excellent  purpose  in  the  main.  We 
behold  her  at  work  incessantly.  One  is  a  fish  to  her 
hook ;  another  a  moth  to  her  light.  By  the  various  arts 
at  her  disposal  she  will  have  us,  unless  early  in  life  we 
tear  away  the  creature's  coloured  gauzes  and  penetrate  to 
her  absurdly  simple  mechanism.  That  done,  we  may,  if 
we  please,  dominate  her.  High  priests  of  every  religion 
have  successively  denounced  her  as  the  chief  enemy.  To 
subdue  and  bid  her  minister  to  our  satisfaction  is  there- 
fore a  right  employment  of  man's  unperverted  superior 
strength.  Of  course  we  keep  to  ourselves  the  woman  we 
prefer;  but  we  have  to  beware  of  an  uxorious  preference, 
or  we  are  likely  to  resemble  the  Irishman  with  his  wolf, 
and  dance  imprisoned  in  the  hug  of  our  captive. 

For  it  is  the  creature's  characteristic  to  be  lastingly 
awake,  in  her  moments  of  utmost  slavishness  most 
keenly  awake,  to  the  chances  of  the  snaring  of  the 
stronger.  Be  on  guard,  then.  Lord  Ormont  liad  been 
on  guard  then  and  always  :  his  instinct  of  commander- 


CONTENTION   OF   BROTHER   AND  SISTER        325 

ship  kept  him  on  guard.  He  was  on  guard  now  when 
his  Amiuta  played,  not  the  indignant  and  the  frozen, 
but  the  genially  indifferent.  She  did  it  well,  he  ad- 
mitted. Had  it  been  the  indignant  she  played,  he 
might  have  stooped  to  cajole  the  handsome  queen  of 
gypsies  she  was,  without  acknowledgment  of  her  right 
to  complain.  Feeling  that  he  was  about  to  be  generous, 
he  shrugged.     He  meant  to  speak  in  deeds. 

Lady  Charlotte's  house  was  at  the  distance  of  a 
stroller's  half-hour  across  Hyde  Park  westward  from 
his  own.  Thither  he  walked,  a  few  minutes  after  noon, 
prepared  for  cattishness.  He  could  fancy  that  he  had 
hitherto  postponed  the  visit  rather  on  her  account, 
considering  that  he  would  have  to  crush  her  if  she 
humped  and  spat,  and  he  hoped  to  be  allowed  to  do  it 
gently.     There  would  certainly  be  a  scene. 

Lady  Charlotte  was  at  home. 

"Always  at  home  to  you,  Rowsley,  at  any  hour. 
Mr.  Egiett  has  driven  down  to  the  City.  There's  a 
doctor  in  a  square  there's  got  a  reputation  for  treating 
weak  children,  and  he  has  taken  down  your  grand-nephew 
Bobby  to  be  inspected.  Poor  boy  comes  of  a  poor 
stock  on  the  father's  side.  Mr.  Egiett  would  have  that 
marriage.  Now  he  sees  wealth  isn't  everything.  Those 
Beulews  are  rushlights.  However,  Elizabeth  stood  with 
her  father  to  have  Kobert  Peulew,  and  this  poor  child's 
the  result.     I  wonder  whether  they  have  consciences." 

My  lord   prolonged   the    sibilation  of   his   "  Yes,"  in 


326  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

the  way  of  absent-minded  men.  He  liked  little  Bobby, 
but  had  to  class  the  boy  second  for  the  present. 

**You  have  our  family  jewels  in  your  keeping, 
Charlotte." 

"  No,  I  haven't,  —  and  you  know  I  haven't,  Rowsley." 

She  sprang  to  arms,  the  perfect  porcupine,  at  his  open- 
ing words,  as  he  had  anticipated. 

"  Where  are  the  jewels  ?  " 

"  They're  in  the  cellars  of  my  bankers,  and  safe  there, 
you  may  rely  on  it." 

"  I  want  them." 

"  I  want  to  have  them  safe  ;  and  there  they  stop." 

"  You  must  get  them  and  hand  them  over." 

''To  whom?" 

"To  me." 

"What  for?" 

"  They  will  be  worn  by  the  Countess  of  Ormont." 

"AVho's   she?" 

"The  lady  who  bears  the  title." 

"The  only  Countess  of  Ormont  I  know  of  is  your 
mother  and  mine,  Kowsley ;  and  she's  dead." 

"  The  Countess  of  Ormont  I  speak  of  is  alive." 

Lady  Charlotte  squared  to  him.  "Who  gives  her 
the  title?" 

"  She  bears  it  by  right." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say,  Rowsley,  you  have  gone  and 
married  the  woman  since  we  came  up  from  Steignton  ?  " 

"  She  is  my  wife." 


CONTENTION   OF   BROTHER   AND   SISTER         327 

"Anyhow,  she  won't  have  our  family  jewels." 

"  If  you  had  swallowed  them,  you'd  have  to  disgorge." 

"I  don't  give  up  our  family  jewels  to  such  people." 

"  Do  you  decline  to  call  on  her  ?  " 

"  I  do :  I  respect  our  name  and  blood." 

"You  will  send  the  order  to  your  bankers  for  them 
to  deliver  the  jewels  over  to  me  at  my  house  this 
day." 

"  Look  here,  Rowsley :  you're  gone  cracked  or  senile. 
You're  in  the  hands  of  one  of  those  clever  wenches  who 
catch  men  of  your  age.  She  may  catch  you  ;  she  sha'n't 
lay  hold  of  our  family  jewels :  they  stand  for  the  honour 
of  our  name  and  blood." 

"  They  are  to  be  at  my  house-door  at  four  o'clock 
this  afternoon." 

"They'll  not  stir." 

"  Then  I  go  down  to  your  bankers  and  give  them  the 
order." 

"  My  bankers  won't  attend  to  it  without  the  order 
from  me." 

"  You  will  submit  to  the  summons  of  my  lawyers." 

"  You're  bent  on  a  public  scandal,  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  bent  on  having  the  jewels." 

"  They  are  not  yours ;  you've  no  claim  to  them  ; 
they  are  heirlooms  in  our  family.  Things  most  sacred 
to  us  are  attached  to  them.  They  belong  to  our  history. 
There's  the  tiara  worn  by  the  first  Countess  of  Ormont. 
There's  the  big  emerald  of  the  necklace-pendant — you 


328  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

know  the  story  of  it.  Two  rubies  not  counted  second 
to  any  in  England.  All  those  diamonds  !  I  wore  the 
cross  and  the  two  pins  the  day  I  was  presented  after 
my  marriage." 

"  The  present  Lady  Ormont  will  wear  them  the  day 
she  is  presented." 

"  She  won't  wear  them  at  Court." 

"  She  will." 

''Don't  expect  the  Lady  Ormont  of  tradesmen  and 
footmen  to  pass  the  Lord  Chamberlain." 

"  That  matter  will  be  arranged  for  next  season.  Now 
I've  done." 

"  So  have  I ;  and  you  have  my  answer,  Rowsley," 

They  quitted  their  chairs. 

"  You  decline  to  call  on  my  wife  ?  "  said  the  earl. 

Lady  Charlotte  replied:  "Understand  me,  now.  If 
the  woman  has  won  you  round  to  legitimise  the  connec- 
tion, first,  I  have  a  proper  claim  to  see  her  marriage 
lines.  I  must  have  a  certificate  of  her  birth.  I  must 
have  a  testified  account  of  her  life  before  you  met  her 
and  got  the  worst  of  it.  Then,  as  the  case  may  be,  I'll 
call  on  her." 

"You  will  behave  yourself  when  you  call." 

"But  she  won't  have  our  family  jewels." 

"That  affair  has  been  settled  by  me." 

"  I  should  be  expecting  to  hear  of  them  as  decorating 
the  person  of  one  of  that  man  Morsfield's  mistresses." 

The  earl's  brow  thickened.  "  Charlotte,  I  smacked 
your  cheek  when  you  were  a  girl." 


CONTENTION   OF   BROTHER   AND   SISTER         329 

"I  know  you  did.  You  might  again,  and  I  wouldn't 
cry  out.  She  travels  with  that  Morsfield;  you've  seen 
it.  He  goes  boasting  of  her.  Gypsy  or  not,  she's  got 
queer  ways." 

"  I  advise  you,  you  had  better  learn  at  once  to  speak 
of  her  respectfully." 

"  I  shall  have  enough  to  go  through,  if  what  you  say's 
true,  with  questions  of  the  woman's  antecedents  and  her 
people,  and  the  date  of  the  day  of  this  marriage.  When 
was  the  day  you  did  it?  I  shall  have  to  give  an  answer. 
You  know  cousins  of  ours,  and  the  way  they'll  be  press- 
ing, and  comparing  ages  and  bawling  rumours.  None 
of  them  imagined  my  brother  such  a  fool  as  to  be 
wheedled  into  marrying  her.  You  say  it's  done,  Rows- 
ley.     Was  it  done  yesterday  or  the  day  before  ?  " 

Lord  Ormont  found  unexpectedly  that  she  struck  on 
a  weak  point.  Married  from  the  first  ?  Why  not  tell 
me  of  it  ?  He  could  hear  her  voice  as  if  she  had 
spoken  the  words.  And  how  communicate  the  pell-mell 
of  reasons  ? 

"You're  running  vixen.  The  demand  I  make  is  for 
the  jewels,"  he  said. 

''You  won't  have  them,  Rowsley  —  not  for  her." 

"You  think  of  compelling  me  to  use  force  ?  " 

"  Try  it." 

"  You  swear  the  jewels  are  with  your  bankers  ?  " 

"I  left  them  in  charge  of  my  bankers,  and  they've 
not  been  moved  by  me." 


330  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Well,  it  must  be  force." 

"  Nothing  short  of  it  when  the  honour  of  our  family's 
concerned." 

It  was  rather  worse  than  the  anticipated  struggle 
with  this  Charlotte,  though  he  had  kept  his  temper. 
The  error  was  in  supposing  that  an  hour's  sharp  conflict 
would  settle  it,  as  he  saw.     The  jewels  required  a  siege. 

"When  does  Eglett  return?"  he  asked. 

"Back  to  lunch.  You  stay  and  lunch  here,  Rowsley: 
we  don't  often  have  you." 

The  earl  contemplated  her,  measuring  her  powers  of 
resistance  for  a  prolonged  engagement.  Odd  that  the 
pride  which  had  withdrawn  him  from  the  service  of  an 
offending  country  should  pitch  him  into  a  series  of 
tussles  with  women,  for  its  own  confusion !  He  saw 
that,  too,  in  his  dim  reflectiveness,  and  held  the  country 
answerable  for  it. 

Mr.  Eglett  was  taken  into  confidence  by  him  privately 
after  lunch.  Mr.  Eglett's  position  betAveen  the  brother 
and  sister  was  perplexing;  habitually  he  thought  his 
wife  had  strong  good  sense,  in  spite  of  the  costliness 
of  certain  actions  at  law  not  invariably  confirming  his 
opinion ;  he  thought  also  that  the  earl's  demand  must 
needs  be  considered  obediently.  At  the  same  time,  his 
wife's  objection  to  the  new  Countess  of  Ormont,  un- 
masked upon  the  world,  seemed  very  legitimate ;  though 
it  might  be  asked  why  the  earl  should  not  marry,  marry- 
ing the  lady  who  pleased  him.     But  if,  in  the  words  of 


CONTENTION   OF   BROTHER   AND   SISTER         331 

his  wife,  the  lady  had  no  claim  to  be  called  a  lady,  the 
marriage  was  deplorable.  On  the  other  hand,  Lord 
Ormont  spoke  of  her  in  terms  of  esteem,  and  he  was 
no  fondling  dotard. 

How  to  compromise  the  matter  for  the  sake  of  peace  ? 
The  man  perpetually  plunged  into  strife  by  his  com- 
bative spouse,  cried  the  familiar  question  again ;  and 
at  every  suggestion  of  his  on  behalf  of  concord  he  heard 
from  Lady  Charlotte  that  he  had  no  principles,  or  else 
from  Lord  Ormont  that  his  head  must  be  off  his 
shoulders.  The  man  for  peace  had  the  smallest  supply 
of  language,  and  so,  unless  he  took  a  side  and  fought, 
his  active  part  was  football  between  them. 

It  went  on  through  the  afternoon  up  to  five  o'clock. 
No  impression  was  betrayed  by  Lady  Charlotte. 

She  congratulated  her  brother  on  the  recruit  he  had 
enlisted.  He  smiled  his  grimmest  of  the  lips  drawn 
in.  A  combat,  perceptibly  of  some  extension,  would 
soon  give  him  command  of  the  man  of  peace ;  and 
energy  to  continue  attacks  will  break  down  the  energies 
of  any  dogged  defensive  stand. 

He  deferred  the  discussion  with  his  unreasonable 
sister  until  the  next  day  at  half-past  twelve  o'clock. 

Lady  Charlotte  nodded  to  the  appointment.  SI\e 
would  have  congratulated  herself  without  irony  on  the 
result  of  the  first  day's  altercation  but  for  her  brother 
Rowsley's  unusual  and  ominous  display  of  patience. 

Twice  during  the  wrangle  she  had  to  conceal  a  diffi- 


332  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS   AMINTA 

cult  breathing.  She  felt  a  numbness  in  one  arm  now 
it  was  over,  and  mentally  complimented  her  London 
physician  on  the  unerringness  of  his  diagnosis.  Her 
heart,  however,  complained  of  the  cruelty  of  having 
in  the  end,  perhaps,  if  the  wrangle  should  be  protracted, 
to  yield,  for  sheer  weakness,  without  ceasing  to  beat. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE    ORMONT    JEWELS 


At  half-past  twelve  of  the  noon  next  day  Lord 
Ormont  was  at  Lady  Charlotte's  house-door.  She  wel- 
comed him  affectionately,  as  if  nothing  were  in  dispute ; 
he  nodded  an  acceptance  of  her  greetings,  with  a  blunt 
intimation  of  the  business  to  be  settled ;  she  put  on  her 
hump  of  the  feline  defensive ;  then  his  batteries  opened 
fire  and  hers  barked  back  on  him.  Each  Avon  admiration 
of  the  other's  tenacity,  all  the  more  determined  to  sap 
or  split  it.  They  had  known  one  another's  character, 
but  they  had  never  seen  it  in  such  strong  light.  Never 
had  their  mutual  and  similar,  though  opposed,  resources 
been  drawn  out  so  copiously  and  unreservedly.  This 
was  the  shining  scrawl  of  all  that  each  could  do  to  gain 
a  fight.  They  admired  one  another's  contemptibly  justi- 
fiable evasions,  changes  of  front,  statements  bordering 
the  lie,  even  to  meanness  in  the  withdrawal  of  admis- 


THE   ORMONT   JEWELS  333 

sions  and  the  denial  of  the  same  ever  having  been  made. 
That  was  Charlotte !  That  was  Rowsley !  Anything 
to  beat  down  the  adversary. 

As  to  will,  the  woman's  will,  of  these  two,  equalled 
the  man's.  They  Avere  matched  in  obstinacy  and  un- 
scrupulousness.  Her  ingenuities  of  the  defence  eluded 
his  attacks,  and  compelled  him  to  fall  on  heavy  iteration 
of  his  demand  for  the  jewels,  an  immediate  restitution 
of  the  jewels. 

"  Why  immediate  ?  "  cried  she. 

He  repeated  it  without  replying  to  her. 

"  But,  you  tell  me,  Rowsley,  Avhy  immediate  ?  If 
you're  in  want  of  money  for  her,  you  come  to  me,  tell 
me,  you  shall  have  thousands.  I'll  drive  down  to  the 
City  to-morrow  and  sell  out  stock.  Mr.  Eglett  won't 
mind  when  he  hears  the  purpose.  I  shall  call  five 
thousand  cheap,  and  don't  ask  to  see  the  money  again." 

"  Ah  !  double  the  sum  to  have  your  OAvn  way  ! "  said 
he. 

She  protested  that  she  valued  her  money.  She  fur- 
nished instances  of  her  carefulness  of  her  money  all 
along  up  to  the  present  period  of  brutal  old  age..  Yet 
she  would  willingly  part  with  five  thousand  or  more 
to  save  the  family  honour.  Mr.  Eglett  would  not  only 
approve,  he  would  probably  advance  a  good  part  of  the 
money  himself. 

"  Money !  Who  wants  money  ?  "  thundered  the  earl, 
and  jumped  out  of   her  trap  of   the  further   diversion 


334  LORD   ORMONT    AND    HIS    AMINTA 

from  the  plain  request.  "  To-morrow,  when  I  am  here, 
I  shall  expect  to  have  the  jewels  delivered  to  me." 

"That  you  may  hand  them  over  to  her.  Where  are 
they  likely  to  be  this  time  next  year  ?  And  what  do 
you  know  about  jewels  ?  You  may  look  at  them  when 
you  ask  to  see  them,  and  not  know  imitation  paste  — 
like  the  stuff  Lady  Beltus  showed  her  old  husband. 
Our  mother  wore  them,  and  she  prized  them.  I'm  not 
sure  I  wouldn't  rather  hear  they  were  exhibited  in  a 
Bond  Street  jeweller's  shop  or  a  Piccadilly  pawnbroker's 
than  have  them  on  that  woman." 

"•  You  speak  of  my  wife." 

'Tor  a  season,  perhaps  ;  and  off  they're  likely  to  go,  to 
pay  bills,  if  her  Adderwoods  and  her  Morstields  are  out  of 
funds,  as  they  call  it." 

"  You  are  aware  you  are  speaking  of  my  wife,  Char- 
lotte ?  " 

"  You  daren't  say  my  sister-in-law." 

He  did  not  choose  to  say  it;  and  once  more  she  dared 
him.     She  could  imagine  she  scored  a  point. 

They  were  summoned  to  lunch  by  Mr.  Eglett ;  and 
there  was  an  hour's  armistice ;  following  which  the  earl 
demanded  the  restitution  of  the  jewels,  and  heard 
the  singular  question,  childishly  accentuated,  "What 
for  ?  " 

Patience  was  his  weapon  and  support,  so  he  named  his 
object  with  an  air  of  inveteracy  in  tranquility:  they  were 
for  his  wife  to  wear. 


V 


THE  ORMONT  JEWELS  335 

Lady  Charlotte  dared  him  to  say  they  were  for  her 
sister-in-law. 

He  despised  the  transparent  artifice  of  the  challenge. 

"  But  you  have  to  own  the  difference,"  she  said.  "  You 
haven't  lost  respect  for  your  family,  thank  God!  No. 
It's  one  thing  to  say  she's  a  wife :  you  hang  fire  when 
it's  to  say  she's  my  sister-in-law." 

"  You'll  have  to  admit  the  fact,  Charlotte." 

"  How  long  is  it  since  I  should  have  had  to  admit  the 
fact  ?  " 

"  From  the  date  of  ray  marriage." 

"  Tell  me  the  date." 

"  No,  you  don't  wear  a  wig,  Charlotte ;  but  you  are  fit 
to  practise  in  the  law-courts  ! "  he  said,  exasperatedly 
jocular. 

She  had  started  a  fresh  diversion,  and  she  pressed  him 
for  the  date.  "  I'm  supposed  to  have  had  a  sister-in-law 
—  how  many  weeks  ?  —  months  ?  " 

"  Years." 

" Married  years  !  And  if  you've  been  married  years, 
where  were  you  married  ?  Not  in  a  church.  That  woman's 
no  church-bride." 

"  There  are  some  clever  women  made  idiots  of  by  their 
truUish  tempers." 

"  Abuse  away.  I've  asked  you  where  you  were  married, 
Rowsley." 

"  Go  to  Madrid.  Go  to  the  Embassy.  Apply  to  the 
chaplain." 


336  LOKD   ORMONT   AND   HIS  AMINTA 

''  Married  in  Madrid  ?  Who's  ever  married  in  Madrid  ? 
You  flung  her  a  yellow  handkerchief,  and  she  tied  it 
round  her  neck  —  that's  your  ceremony  !  Now  you  tell 
me  you've  been  married  years;  and  she's  a  young  woman; 
you  fetch  her  over  from  Madrid,  set  her  in  a  place  where 
those  Morsfields  and  other  fungi-fellows  grow,  and  she 
has  to  think  herself  lucky  to  be  received  by  a  Lady 
Staines  and  a  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley,  and  she  the  talk 
of  the  town,  refused  at  Court,  for  all  an  honourable- 
enough  old  woman  countenanced  her  in  pity;  and  I'm 
asked  to  believe  she  was  my  brother's  wife,  a  sister-in-law 
of  mine,  all  the  while !     I  won't." 

Lady  Charlotte  dilated  on  it  for  a  length  of  time, 
merely  to  show  she  declined  to  believe  it ;  pouring 
Morsfield  over  him,  and  the  talk  of  the  town,  the 
gypsy  caught  in  Spain  —  now  to  be  foisted  on  her  as 
her  sister  in-law !  She  could  fancy  she  produced  an 
effect. 

She  did  indeed  unveil  to  him  a  portion  of  the  sufferings 
his  Aminta  had  undergone ;  as  visibly,  too,  the  good  argu- 
mentative reasons  for  his  previous  avoidance  of  the 
deadly,  dismal  wrangle  were  forced  on  him.  A  truly 
dismal,  profitless  wrangle  !  But  the  finish  of  it  would  be 
the  beginning  of  some  solace  to  his  Aminta. 

The  finish  of  it  must  be  to-morrow.  He  refrained 
from  saying  so,  and  simply  appointed  to-morrow  for  the 
resumption  of  the  wrestle,  departing  in  his  invincible 
coat  of  patience:  which  one  has  to  wear  when  dealing 


THE   ORMONT   JEWELS  337 

with  a  woman  like  Charlotte,  he  informed  Mr.  Eglett, 
on  his  way  out  at  a  later  hour  than  on  the  foregone 
day.  Mr.  Eglett  was  of  his  opinion,  that  an  introduction 
of  lawyers  into  a  family  dispute  was  "  rats  in  the  pantry" ; 
and  he  would  have  joined  him  in  his  gloomy  laugh,  if  the 
thought  of  Charlotte  in  a  contention  had  not  been  so 
serious  a  matter.  She  might  be  beaten;  she  could  not 
be  brought  to  yield. 

She  retired  to  her  bedroom,  and  laid  herself  jftat  on 
her  bed,  immovable,  till  her  maid  undressed  her  for  the 
night.  A  cup  of  broth  and  strip  of  toast  formed  her  sole 
nourishment.  As  for  her  doctor's  possible  reproaches, 
the  symptoms  might  crowd  and  do  their  worst;  she 
fought  for  the  honour  of  her  family. 

At  midday  of  the  third  day  Lady  Charlotte  was  re- 
duced to  the  condition  of  those  fortresses  which  wave 
defiantly  the  flag,  but  deliver  no  further  shot,  awaiting 
the  assault.  Her  body,  affected  by  hideous  old  age,  suc- 
cumbed. Her  will  was  unshaken.  She  would  not  write  to 
her  bankers.  Mr.  Eglett  might  go  to  them,  if  he  thought 
fit.  Rowsley  was  to  understand  that  he  might  call  him- 
self married;  she  would  have  no  flower-basket  bunch  of 
a  sister-in-law  thrust  upon  her. 

Lord  Ormont  and  Mr.  Eglett  walked  down  to  her 
bankers  in  the  afternoon.  As  a  consequence  of  express 
injunctions  given  by  my  lady  five  years  previously,  the 
assistant- manager  sought  an  interview  with  her. 

The  jewels  were  lodged  at  her  house  the  day  ensuing. 


338  LORD   OKMONT   AND  HIS   AMINTA 

They  were  exaniiued,  verified  by  the  list  in  Lady  Char- 
lotte's family  record-book,  and  then  taken  away  —  forci- 
bly, of  course  —  by  her  brother. 

He  laughed  in  his  dry  manner ;  but  the  reminiscent 
glimpses,  helping  him  to  see  the  humour  of  it,  stirred 
sensations  of  the  tug  it  had  been  with  that  combative 
Charlotte,  and  excused  him  for  having  shrunk  from  the 
encounter  until  he  conceived  it  to  be  necessary. 

Settlement  of  the  affair  with  Morsfield  now  claimed 
his  attention.  The  ironical  tolerance  he  practised  in 
relation  to  Morsfield  when  Aminta  had  no  definite 
station  before  the  world  changed  to  an  angry  irritability 
at  the  man's  behaviour  now  that  she  had  stepped  forth 
under  his  acknowledgment  of  her  as  the  Countess  of 
Ormont.  He  had  come  round  to  a  rather  healthier 
mind  regarding  his  country,  and  his  introduction  of  the 
Countess  of  Ormont  to  the  world  was  his  peace-offering. 

As  he  returned  home  earlier  on  the  third  day,  he 
found  his  diligent  secretary  at  work.  The  calling  on 
Captain  May  and  the  writing  to  the  sort  of  man  were 
acts  obnoxious  to  his  dignity;  so  he  despatched  Wey- 
burn  to  the  captain's  house,  one  in  a  small  street  of 
three  narrow  tenements  abutting  on  aristocracy  and 
terminating  in  mews.  Weyburn's  mission  was  to  give 
the  earl's  address  at  Great  Marlow  for  the  succeeding 
days,  and  to  see  Captain  May,  if  the  captain  was  at 
home.  During  his  absence  the  precious  family  jewel- 
box  was  locked  in  safety.     Aminta  and  her  friend,  little 


THE  ORMONT  JEWELS  339 

Miss  Collett,  were  out  driving,  by  the  secretary's  report. 
The  earl  considered  it  a  wholesome  feature  of  Aniinta's 
character  that  she  should  have  held  to  her  modest 
schoolmate :  the  fact  spoke  well  for  both  of  them. 

A  look  at  the  papers  to  serve  for  Memoirs  was  dis- 
composing, and  led  him  to  think  the  secretary  could 
be  parted  with  as  soon  as  he  pleased  to  go  :  say,  a  week 
hence. 

The  Memoirs  were  no  longer  designed  for  issue.  He 
had  the  impulse  to  treat  them  on  the  spot  as  the  Plan  for 
the  Defence  of  the  Country  had  been  treated;  and  for 
absolutely  obverse  reasons.  The  secretary  and  the 
Memoirs  were  associated:  one  had  sprung  out  of  the 
other.  Moreover,  the  secretary  had  witnessed  a  scene 
at  Steignton.  The  young  man  had  done  his  duty,  and 
would  be  thanked  for  that,  and  dismissed,  with  a  touch 
of  his  employer's  hand.  The  young  man  would  have 
made  a  good  soldier  —  a  better  soldier,  good  as  he 
might  be  as  a  scribe.  He  ought  to  have  been  in  his 
father's  footsteps,  and  he  would  then  have  disciplined 
or  quashed  his  fantastical  ideas.  Perhaps  he  was  right 
on  the  point  of  toning  the  Memoirs  here  and  there. 
Since  the  scene  at  Steignton  Lord  Ormont's  views  had 
changed  markedly  in  relation  to  everybody  about  him, 
and  most  things. 

Weyburn  came  back  at  the  end  of  an  hour  to  say  that 
he  had  left  the  address  with  Mrs.  May,  whom  he  had 
seen. 


340  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  A  handsome  person,"  the  earl  observed. 

"  She  must  have  been  very  handsome,"  said  \yeyburn. 

"Ah!  we  fall  into  their  tactions,  or  life  would  be  a 
bald  business,  upon  my  word  ! " 

Lord  Ormont  had  not  uttered  it  before  the  sentiment 
of  his  greater  luck  with  one  of  that  queer  world  of  the 
female  lottery  went  through  him  on  a  swell  of  satisfac- 
tion, just  a  wave. 

An  old-world  eye  upon  women,  it  seemed  to  Weyburn. 
But  the  man  who  could  crown  a  long  term  of  cruel  in- 
justice with  the  harshness  to  his  wife  at  Steignton  would 
naturally  behold  women  with  that  eye. 

However,  he  was  allowed  only  to  generalise  ;  he  could 
not  trust  himself  to  dwell  on  Lady  Ormont  and  the 
Aminta  inside  the  shell.  Aminta  and  Lady  Ormont 
might  think  as  one  or  diversely  of  the  executioner's 
blow  she  had  undergone.  She  was  a  married  woman, 
and  she  probably  regarded  the  wedding  by  law  as  the 
end  a  woman  has  to  aim  at,  and  is  annihilated  by  hit- 
ting ;  one  flash  of  success,  and  then  extinction,  like  a 
boy's  cracker  on  the  pavement.  Not  an  elevated  image, 
but  closely  resembling  that  which  her  alliance  with  Lord 
Ormont  had  been ! 

At  the  same  time,  no  true  lover  of  a  woman  advises 
her  —  imploring  is  horrible  treason  —  to  slip  the  sym- 
bolic circle  of  the  law  from  her  finger  and  have  in  an 
instant  the  world  for  her  enemy.  She  must  consent  to 
be  annihilated,  and  must  have  no  feelings  ;  particularly 


THE   ORMONT  JEWELS  341 

no  mind.  The  mind  is  the  danger  for  her.  If  she  has  a 
mind  alive,  she  will  certainly  push  for  the  position  to 
exercise  it,  and  run  the  risk  of  a  classing  with  Nature's 
created  mates  for  reptile  men. 

Besides,  Lady  Ormont  appeared,  in  the  company  of 
her  friend  Selina  Collett,  not  worse  than  rather  too 
thoughtful ;  not  distinctly  unhappy.  And  she  was  con- 
versable, smiling.  She  might  have  had  an  explanation 
with  my  lord,  accepting  excuses  —  or,  who  knows  ?  tak- 
ing the  blame,  and  offering  them.  Weakness  is  pliable. 
So  pliable  is  it,  that  it  has  been  known  for  a  crack  of 
the  masterly  whip,  to  fling  off  the  victim  and  put  on  the 
culprit !  Ay,  but  let  it  be  as  it  may  with  Lady  Ormont, 
Aminta  is  of  a  different  composition.  Aminta's  eyes  of 
the  return  journey  to  London  were  haunting  lights,  and 
lured  him  to  speculate;  and  for  her  sake  he  rejected  the 
thought  that  for  him  they  meant  anything  warmer  than 
the  passing  thankfulness,  though  they  were  a  novel  as- 
surance to  him  of  her  possession  beneath  her  smothering 
cloud  of  the  power  to  resolve,  and  show  forth  a  brilliant 
individuality. 

The  departure  of  the  ladies  and  my  lord  in  the  travel- 
ling carriage  for  the  house  on  the  Upper  Thames  was 
passably  sweetened  to  Weyburn  by  the  command  to  him 
to  follow  in  a  day  or  two  and  continue  his  work  there 
until  he  left  England.  Aminta  would  not  hear  of  an 
abandonment  of  the  Memoirs.  She  spoke  on  the  subject 
to  my  lord  as  to  a  husband  pardoned. 


342  LORD  ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

She  was  not  less  affable  and  pleasant  with  him 
out  of  Weyburn's  hearing.  My  lord  earned  her  grati- 
tude for  his  behaviour  to  Selina  Collett,  to  whom  he 
talked  interestedly  of  her  favourite  pursuit,  as  he  had 
done  on  the  day  when,  as  he  was  not  the  man  to  forget, 
her  arrival  relieved  him  of  anxiety.  Aminta  noticed  the 
box  on  the  seat  beside  him. 

They  drove  up  to  their  country  house  in  time  to  dress 
leisurely  for  dinner.  Nevertheless,  the  dinner-hour  had 
struck  several  minutes  before  she  descended;  and  the 
earl,  as  if  not  expecting  her,  was  out  on  the  garden  path 
beside  the  river  bank  with  Selina.  She  beckoned  from 
the  step  of  the  open  French  window. 

He  came  to  her  at  little  Seliua's  shuffling  pace,  con- 
versing upon  water  plants. 

"No  jewelry  to-day?  "  he  said. 

And  Aminta  replied :  "  Carstairs  has  shown  me  the 
box  and  given  the  key.     I  have  not  opened  it." 

"  Time  in  the  evening  or  to-morrow.  You  guess  the 
contents  ?  " 

"  I  presume  I  do." 

She  looked  feverish  and  shadowed. 

He  murmured  kindly :  "  Anything  ?  " 

"  Not  now ;  we  will  dine." 

She  had  missed,  had  lost,  she  feared,  her  own  jewel- 
box  ;  a  casket  of  no  great  treasure  to  others,  but  of  a 
largely  estimable  importance  to  her. 

After  the  heavy  ceremonial  entrance  and  exit  of  dishes, 


THE   ORMONT   JEWELS  343 

she  begged  the  earl  to  accompany  her  for  an  examination 
of  the  contents  of  the  box. 

As  soon  as  her  chamber-door  was  shut,  she  said,  in 
accent  of  alarm  :  "  Mine  has  disappeared.  Carstairs,  I 
know,  is  to  be  trusted.  She  remembers  carrying  the  box 
out  of  my  room ;  she  believes  she  can  remember  putting 
it  into  the  fly.  She  had  to  confess  that  it  had  vanished, 
without  her  knowing  how,  when  my  boxes  were  un- 
packed." 

"  Is  she  very  much  upset  ?  "  said  the  earl. 

"  Carstairs  ?  Why,  yes,  poor  creature !  you  can  im- 
agine. I  have  no  doubt  she  feels  for  me  ;  and  her  own 
reputation  is  concerned.  What  do  you  think  is  best  to 
be  done  ?  " 

"To  be  done  !  Overhaul  the  baggage  again  in  all  the 
rooms." 

"  We've  not  failed  to  do  that." 

"Control  yourself,  my  dear.  If,  by  bad  luck,  they're 
lost,  we  can  replace  them.  The  contents  of  this  box, 
now,  we  could  not  replace.     Open  it,  and  judge." 

"  I  have  no  curiosity  —  forgive  me,  I  beg.  And  the 
servants'  fly  has  been  visited,  ransacked  inside  and  out, 
footmen  questioned ;  we  have  not  left  anything  we  can 
conceive  of  undone.     My  lord,  will  you  suggest  ?  " 

"The  intrinsic  value  of  the  gems  would  not  be  worth 
—  not  worth  Aminta's  one  beat  of  the  heart.  Upon  my 
word — not  one  !  " 

An  amatory  knightly  compliment,  breasting  her  per- 


344  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

turbation,  roused  an  unwonted  spite ;  and  a  swift  reflec- 
tion on  it  startled  her  with  a  suspicion.  She  cast  it 
behind  her.  He  coukl  be  angler  and  lish,  he  would  not 
be  cat  and  mouse. 

She  said,  however,  more  temperately :  "  It  is  not  the 
value  of  the  gems.     We  are  losing  precious  minutes  !  " 

"Association  of  them  with  the  giver?  Is  it  that  ?  If 
that  has  a  value  for  you,  he  is  flattered." 

This  betrayed  him  to  the  woman  waxing  as  intensely 
susceptible  in  all  her  being  as  powder  to  sparks. 

"There  is  to  be  no  misunderstanding,  my  lord,"  she 
said.     "I  like  —  I  value  my  jewels  ;  but  —  I  am  alarmed 

lest   the   box   should  fall   into  hands into   strange 

hands." 

"  The  box ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  an  outline  of  a  comic 
grimace ;  and,  if  proved  a  voluptuary  in  torturing,  he 
could  instance  half  a  dozen  points  for  extenuation :  hei- 
charm  of  person,  withheld  from  him,  and  to  be  em- 
braced ;  her  innocent  naughtiness  ;  compensation  coming 
to  her  in  excess  for  a  transient  infliction  of  pain.  "  Your 
anxiety  is  about  the  box  ?  " 

"  Yes,  the  box,"  Aminta  said  firmly.    "  It  contains " 

"No  false  jewels  ?     A  thief  might  complain." 

"  It  contains  letters,  my  lord." 

"Blackmail?" 

"You  would  be  at  liberty  to  read  them.  I  would 
rather  they  were  burnt." 

"  Ah ! "      The   earl    heaved    his    chest    prodigiously. 


THE   ORMONT   JEWELS  345 

"Blackmail  letters  are  better  in  a  husband's  hands,  if 
they  can  be  laid  there." 

"If  there  is  a  necessity  for  him  to  read  them — yes." 

"  There  may  be  a  necessity,  there  can't  be  a  gratifica- 
tion,—  though  there  are  dogs  of  thick  blood  that  like 
to  scratch  their  sores,"  he  murmured  to  himself.  ''  You 
used  to  show  me  these  declaration  epistles." 

''ISTot  the  names." 

"  Not  the  names  —  no !  " 

"  When  we  had  left  the  country,  I  showed  you  why 
it  had  been  my  wish  to  go." 

"  Xarifa  was  and  is  female  honour.  Take  the  key, 
open  that  box ;  I  will  make  inquiries.  But,  my  dear, 
you  guess  everything.  Your  little  box  was  removed 
for  the  bigger  impression  to  be  produced  by  this  one." 

A  flash  came  out  of  her  dark  eyes. 

"No,  you  guess  wrong  this  time,  you  clever  shrew! 
I  wormed  nothing  from  you,"  said  he.  "  I  knew  you 
kept  particular  letters  in  that  receptacle  of  things  of 
price :  Aminta  can't  conceal.  The  man  has  worried 
you.     Why  not  have  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  Oblige  me,  my  lord,  by  restoring  me  my  box." 

"  This  is  your  box." 

Her  bosom  lifted  with  the  words  Oh,  no !  unspoken. 

He  took  the  key  and  opened  the  box.  A  dazzling 
tray  of  stones  was  revealed ;  underneath  it  the  constella- 
tions in  cases,  very  heavens  for  the  worldly  Eve ;  and 
he  doubted   that  Eve  could   have  gone  completely  out 


346  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

of  her.  But  she  had,  as  observation  instructed  him, 
set  her  woman's  mind  on  something  else,  and  must  have 
it  before  letting  her  eyes  fall  on  objects  impossible  for 
any  of  her  sex  to  see  without  coveting  them. 

He  bowed.     "  I  will  fetch  it,"  he  said  magnanimously. 

Her  own  box  was  brought  from  his  room.  She  then 
consented  to  look  womanly  at  the  Ormont  jewels,  over 
which  the  battle,  whereof  she  knew  nothing  and  nothing 
could  be  told  her,  had  been  fought  in  her  interests,  for 
her  sovereign  pleasure. 

She  looked  and  admired.  They  were  beautiful  jewels : 
the  great  emerald  was  wonderful,  and  there  were  two 
rubies  to  praise.  She  excused  herself  for  declining  to 
put  the  circlet  for  the  pendant  round  her  neck,  or  a 
glittering  ring  on  her  finger.  Her  remarks  were  en- 
comiums, not  quite  so  cold  as  those  of  a  provincial 
spinster  of  an  ascetic  turn  at  an  exhibition  of  the 
world's  flycatcher  gewgaws.  He  had  divided  Aminta 
from  the  Countess  of  Ormont,  and  it  was  the  wary 
Aminta  who  set  a  guard  on  looks  and  tones  before  the 
spectacle  of  his  noble  bounty,  lest  any,  the  smallest, 
payment  of  the  dues  of  the  countess  should  be  demanded. 
Rightly  interpreting  him  to  be  by  nature  incapable  of 
asking  pardon,  or  acknowledging  a  wrong  done  by  him, 
however  much  he  might  crave  exemption  from  blame 
and  seek  for  peace,  she  kept  to  her  mask  of  injury, 
though  she  hated  unforgivingness ;  and  she  felt  it  little, 
she  did  it  easily,  because  her  heart  was  dead  to  the  man. 


LOVERS   MATED  347 

My  lord's  hand  touched  her  on  her  shoulder,  propi- 
tiatingly  in  some  degree,  in  his  dumb  way. 

Offended  women  can  be  emotional  to  a  towering  pride, 
that  bends  while  it  assumes  unbendingness :  it  must 
come  to  their  sensations,  as  it  were  a  sign  of  humanity 
in  the  majestic,  speechless  king  of  beasts ;  and  they  are 
pathetically  melted,  abjectly  hypocritical;  a  nice  con- 
fusion of  sentiments,  traceable  to  a  tender  bosom's 
appreciation  of  strength  and  the  perceptive  compassion 
for  its  mortality. 

In  the  case  of  the  alienated  wife,  whose  blood  is  run- 
ning another  way,  no  foul  snake's  bite  is  more  poison- 
ous than  that  indicatory  touch,  however  simple  and 
slight.  My  lord's  hand,  lightly  laid  on  Aminta's 
shoulder,  became  sensible  of  soft  warm  flesh  stiffening 
to  the  skeleton. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

LOVERS    MATED 


He  was  benevolently  marital,  to  the  extent  of 
paternal,  in  thinking  his  girl,  of  whom  he  deigned  to 
think  now  as  his  countess,  pardonably  foolish.  Woman 
for  woman,  she  was  of  a  pattern  superior  to  the  world's 
ordinary,  and  might  run  the  world's  elect  a  race.  But 
she  was  pitifully  woman-like  in  her  increase  of  dissatis- 
faction with   the   more   she   got.     Women   are   happier 


348  LORD    ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

enslaved.  Men,  too,  if  tlieir  despot  is  an  Ormont. 
Colonel  of  his  regiment,  he  proved  that :  his  men  would 
follow  him  anywhere,  do  anything.  Grand  old  days, 
before  he  was  condemned  by  one  knows  not  what  ex- 
traordinary round  of  circumstances  to  cogitate  on  women 
as  fluids,  and  how  to  cut  channels  for  them,  that  they 
may  course  along  in  the  direction  good  for  them,  imagin- 
ing it  their  pretty  Avanton  will  to  go  that  way !  Na- 
poleon's treatment  of  women  is  excellent  examj)le. 
Peterborough's  can  be  defended. 

His  Aminta  could  not  reason.  She  nursed  a  rancour 
on  account  of  the  blow  she  drew  on  herself  at  Steignton, 
and  she  declined  consolation  in  her  being  pardoned. 
The  reconcilement  evidently  was  proposed  in  one  of  the 
detestable  feminine  storms  enveloping  men  weak  enough 
to  let  themselves  be  dragged  through  a  scene  for  the 
sake  of  domestic  tranquillity. 

A  remarkable  exhibition  of  Aminta  the  woman  was, 
her  entire  change  of  front  since  she  had  taken  her 
spousal  chill.  Formerly  she  was  passive,  merely  stately, 
the  chiselled  grande  dame,  deferential  in  her  bearing  and 
speech,  even  when  argumentative  and  having  an  opinion 
to  plant.  She  had  always  the  independent  eye  and  step; 
she  now  had  the  tongue  of  the  graceful  and  native  great 
lady,  fitted  to  rule  her  circle  and  hold  her  place  beside 
the  proudest  of  the  Ormonts.  She  bore  well  the  small 
shuffle  with  her  jewel-box  —  held  herself  gallantly. 
There   had    been    no   female   feiguings   either,   affected 


LOVERS   MATED  349 

misapprehensions,  gapy  ignorances,  and  snaky  subter- 
fuges, and  the  like,  familiar  to  men  who  have  the  gentle 
twister  in  grip.  Straight  on  the  line  of  the  thing  to  be 
seen  she  flew,  and  struck  on  it ;  and  that  is  a  woman's 
martial  action.  He  would  right  heartily  have  called  her 
comrade,  if  he  had  been  active  himself.  A  warrior 
pulled  off  his  horse,  to  sit  in  a  chair  and  contemplate  the 
tenuous  and  minute  evolutions  of  the  sex,  is  pettish  with 
his  part  in  such  battle-fields,  at  the  stage  beyond 
amusement. 

Seen  swimming,  she  charmed  him.  Abstract  views  of 
a  Avoman  summon  opposite  advocates :  one  can  never  say 
positively.  That  is  she  !  But  the  visible  fair  form  of  a 
woman  is  hereditary  queen  of  us.  We  have  none  of 
your  pleadings  and  counterpleadings  and  judicial  sum- 
maries to  obstruct  a  ravenous  loyalty.  My  lord  beheld 
Aminta  take  her  three  quick  steps  on  the  plank,  and 
spring  and  dive  and  ascend,  shaking  the  ends  of  her 
bound  black  locks ;  and  away  she  went  with  shut  mouth 
and  broad  stroke  of  her  arms  into  the  sunny  early  morn- 
ing river ;  brave  to  see,  although  he  had  to  flick  a  bee 
of  a  question,  why  he  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  seeing, 
and  was  not  beside  her.  The  only  answer  confessed  to 
a  distaste  for  an  exercise  once  pleasurable. 

She  and  her  little  friend  boated  or  strolled  through 
the  meadows  during  the  day ;  he  fished.  When  he  and 
Aminta  rode  out  for  the  hour  before  dinner,  she  seemed 
pleased.     She  was  amicable,  conversable,  all  that  was 


350  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

agreeable  as  a  woman,  and  she  was  the  chillest  of  wives. 
My  lord's  observations  and  reflections  came  to  one  con- 
clusion :  she  pricked  and  challenged  him  to  lead  up  to 
her  desired  stormy  scene.  He  met  her  and  meant  to 
vanquish  her  with  the  dominating  patience  Charlotte 
had  found  too  much  for  her:  women  camiot  stand 
against  it. 

To  be  patient  in  contention  with  women,  however,  one 
mnst  have  a  continuous  and  an  exclusive  occupation; 
and  the  tax  it  lays  on  ns  conduces  usually  to  impatience 
with  men.  My  lord  did  not  directly  connect  Aminta's 
chillness  and  Morsfield's  impudence ;  yet  the  sensation 
roused  by  his  Aminta  participated  in  the  desire  to  punish 
Morsfield  speedily.  Without  wishing  for  a  duel,  he  was 
moved  by  the  social  sanction  it  had  to  consider  whether 
green  youths  and  women  might  not  think  a  grey  head 
had  delayed  it  too  long.  The  practice  of  the  duel  begot 
the  peculiar  animal  logic  of  the  nobler  savage,  which 
tends  to  magnify  an  offence  in  the  ratio  of  our  vanity, 
and  hunger  for  a  blood  that  is  not  demanded  by  the 
appetite.  Moreover,  a  waning  practice,  in  disfavour 
with  the  new  generation,  will  be  commended  to  the  con- 
servative barbarian,  as  partaking  of  the  wisdom  of  his 
fathers.  Further,  too,  we  may  have  grown  slothful, 
fallen  to  moodiness,  done  excess  of  service  to  Omphale, 
our  tyrant  lady  of  the  glow  and  the  chill ;  and  then 
undoubtedly  the  duel  braces. 

He  left  Aminta  for  London,  submissive  to  the  terms  of 


LOVERS   MATED  351 

intimacy  dictated  by  her  demeanour,  his  unacknowledged 
seniority  rendering  their  harshness  less  hard  to  endure. 
She  had  not  gratified  him  with  a  display  of  her  person 
in  the  glitter  of  the  Ormont  jewels ;  and  since  he  was, 
under  common  conditions,  a  speechless  man,  his  in- 
eptitude for  amorous  remonstrances  precipitated  hiin 
upon  deeds,  that  he  might  offer  additional  proofs  of  his 
esteem  and  the  assurance  of  her  established  position  as 
his  countess.  He  proposed  to  engage  Lady  Charlotte 
in  a  conflict  severer  than  the  foregoing,  until  he  brought 
her  to  pay  the  ceremonial  visit  to  her  sister-in-law.  The 
count  of  time  for  this  final  trial  of  his  masterfulness  he 
calculated  at  a  week.  It  would  be  an  occupation, 
miserable  occupation  though  it  was.  He  hailed  the 
prospect  of  chastising  Mors  field,  for  a  proof  that  his 
tussles  with  women,  prolonged  study  of  their  tricks, 
manoeuvrings  and  outwittings  of  them,  had  not  emascu- 
lated him. 

Aminta  willingly  promised  to  write  from  day  to  day. 
Her  senses  had  his  absence  ensured  to  them  by  her 
anticipation  of  the  task.  She  did  not  conceive  it  would 
be  so  ponderous  a  task.  What  to  write  to  him  when 
nothing  occurred !  Nothing  did  occur,  unless  the  arrival 
of  Mr.  Weyburn  was  to  be  named  an  event.  She  alluded 
to  it:  "Mr.  Weybiirn  has  come,  expecting  to  find  you 
here.     The  despatch-box  is  here.     Is  he  to  await  you  ?  " 

That  innocent  little  question  was  a  day  gained. 

One    day  of   boating   on   the   upper    reaches   of   the 


352  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

pastoral  river,  and  walks  in  woods  and  golden  meadows, 
was  felicity  fallen  on  earth,  the  ripe  fruit  of  dreams. 
A  dread  surrounded  it,  as  a  belt,  not  shadowing  the 
horizon;  and  she  clasped  it  to  her  heart  the  more 
passionately,  like  a  mother  her  rosy  infant,  which  a 
dark  world  threatens  and  the  universal  fate. 

Love,  as  it  will  be  at  her  June  of  life,  was  teaching 
her  to  know  the  good  and  bad  of  herself.  Women, 
educated  to  embrace  principles  through  their  timidity 
and  their  pudency,  discover,  amazed,  that  these  are  not 
lasting  qualities  under  love's  influence.  The  blushes 
and  the  fears  take  flight.  The  principles  depend  much 
on  the  beloved.  Is  he  a  man  whose  contact  with  the 
world  has  given  him  understanding  of  life's  laws,  and 
can  hold  him  firm  to  the  right  course  in  the  strain  and 
whirling  of  a  torrent,  they  cling  to  him,  deeply  they 
worship.  And  if  they  tempt  him,  it  is  not  advisedly 
done.  Nature  and  love  are  busy  in  conjunction.  The 
timidities  and  pudencies  have  flown;  they  may  hover, 
they  are  not  present.  You  deplore  it,  you  must  not 
blame;  you  have  educated  them  so.  Muscular  princi- 
ples are  sown  only  out  in  the  world;  and,  on  the  whole, 
with  all  their  errors,  the  worldly  men  are  the  truest  as 
well  as  the  bravest  of  men.  Her  faith  in  his  guidance 
was  equal  to  her  dependence.  The  retrospect  of  a 
recent  journey  told  her  how  he  had  been  tried. 

She  could  gaze  tenderly,  betray  her  heart,  and  be 
certain  of  safety.     Can  wine  match  that  for  joy?     She 


LOVERS   MATED  353 

had  no  schemes,  no  hopes,  but  simply  the  desire  to 
bestow,  the  capacity  to  believe.  Any  wish  to  be 
enfolded  by  him  was  shapeless  and  unlighted,  unborn; 
though  now  and  again  for  some  chance  word  or  unde- 
fined thought  she  surprised  the  strange  tenant  of  her 
breast  at  an  incomprehensibly  faster  beat,  and  knew  it 
for  her  own  and  not  her  own,  the  familiar  the  stranger 
—  an  utter  stranger,  as  one  who  had  snared  her  in  a 
wreath  and  Avas  pulling  her  off  her  feet. 

She  was  not  so  guileless  at  the  thought  of  little  Selina 
Collett  here,  and  of  Selina  as  the  letter-bearer  of  old; 
and  the  marvel  that  Matey  and  Browny  and  Selina  Avere 
together  after  all!  Was  it  not  a  kind  of  summons  to 
her  to  call  him  Matey  just  once,  only  once,  in  play? 
She  burned  and  ached  to  do  it.  She  might  have  taxed 
her  ingenuity  successfully  to  induce  little  Selina  to  the 
boldness  of  calling  him  Matey;  and  she  then  repeating 
it,  as  the  woman  who  revived  with  a  meditative  effort 
recollections  of  the  girl.  Ah,  frightful  hypocrite! 
Thoughts  of  the  pleasure  of  his  name  aloud  on  her  lips 
in  his  hearing  dissolved  througli  her  veins,  and  were 
met  by  Matthew  Weyburn's  open  face,  before  wliich 
hypocrisy  stood  rent  and  stripped.  She  preferred  the 
calmer,  the  truer  pleasure  of  seeing  him  modestly  take 
lessons  in  the  nomenclature  of  weeds,  herbs,  grasses, 
by  hedge  and  ditch.  Selina  could  instruct  him  as 
well  in  entomology,  but  he  knew  better  the  Swiss, 
Tyrolese    and    Italian     valley-homes    of     beetle     and 

2   A 


354  LORD   OKMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

butterfly  species.  Their  simple  talk  was  a  cool  zephyr 
fanning  Aminta. 

The  suggestion  to  unite  the  two  came  to  her,  of 
course;  but  their  physical  disparity  denied  her  that 
chance  to  settle  her  own  difficulty,  and  a  whisper  of  one 
physically  the  match  for  him  punished  her.  In  stature, 
in  healthfulness,  they  were  equals,  perhaps :  not  morally 
or  intellectually.  And  she  could  claim  headship  of  him 
on  one  little  point  confided  to  her  by  his  mother,  who 
was  bearing  him,  and  startled  by  the  boom  of  guns 
under  her  pilloAv,  when  her  husband  fronted  the  enemy: 
Matthew  Weyburn,  the  fencer,  boxer,  cricketer,  hunter, 
all  things  manly,  rather  shrank  from  firearms  —  at  least, 
one  saw  him  put  on  a  scrcAv  to  manipulate  them.  In 
danger  —  among  brigands  or  mutineers,  for  example  — 
she  could  stand  by  him  and  prove  herself  his  mate. 
Intellectually,  morally,  she  had  to  bow  humbly.  Nor 
had  she,  nor  could  she  do  more  than  lean  on  and  catch 
example  from,  his  prompt  spiritual  valiancy.  It  shone 
out  from  him,  and  a  crisis  fulfilled  the  promise.  Who 
could  be  his  mate  for  cheerful  courage,  for  skill,  the 
ready  mind,  easy  adroitness,  and  for  self-command?  To 
imitate  was  a  woman's  utmost. 

Matthew  Weyburn  appeared  the  very  Matey  of  the 
first  of  May  cricketing  day  among  Cuper's  boys  the  next 
morning,  when  seen  pacing  down  the  garden- walk.  He 
wore  his  white  trousers  of  that  happiest  of  old  days  — 
the    "white    ducks"    Aminta   and    Selina   remembered. 


LOVERS   MATED  355 

Selina  beamed.  "Yes,  he  did;  he  always  wore  them; 
but  now  it's  a  frock-coat  instead  of  a  jacket." 

"  But  now  he  will  be  a  master  instead  of  a  schoolboy, " 
said  Aminta.     "Let  us  hope  he  will  prosper." 

"  He  gives  me  the  idea  of  a  man  who  must  succeed, " 
Selina  said;  and  she  was  patted,  rallied,  asked  how  she 
had  the  idea,  and  kissed;  Aminta  saying  she  fancied  it 
might  be  thought,  for  he  looked  so  confident. 

"Only  not  what  the  boys  used  to  call  'cocky,'"  said 
Selina.  "He  won't  be  contemptuous  of  those  he  out- 
strips." 

"  His  choice  of  the  schoolmaster's  profession  points  to 
a  modesty  in  him,  does  it  not,  little  woman?" 

"  He  made  me  tell  him,  while  you  were  writing  your 
letters  yesterday,  all  about  my  brother  and  his  pros- 
pects." 

"Yes,  that  is  like  him.  And  I  must  hear  of  your 
brother,  'little  Collett.'  Don't  forget,  Sely,  little  Col- 
lett  was  our  postman." 

The  Countess  of  Ormont's  humorous  reference  to  the 
circumstance  passed  with  Selina  for  a  sign  of  a  poetic 
love  of  the  past,  and  a  present  social  elevation  that 
allowed  her  to  review  it  impassively.  She  admired  the 
great  lady  and  good  friend  who  could  really  be  inter- 
ested in  the  fortunes  of  a  mere  schoolmaster  and  a 
merchant's  clerk.  To  her  astonishment,  by  some  agency 
beyond  her  fathoming,  she  found  herself,  and  hardly 
for  her  own  pleasure,  pushing  the  young  schoolmaster 


356  LORD    ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

animatedly  to  have  an  account  of  his  aims  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  foreign  school. 

Weyburn  smiled.  He  sent  a  short  look  at  Aminta; 
and  she,  conscious  of  her  detected  diplomacy,  had  an 
inward  shiver,  mixed  of  the  fascination  and  repugnance 
felt  by  a  woman  who  knows  that  under  one  man's  eyes 
her  character  is  naked  and  anatomised.  Her  character? 
—  her  soul.  He  lield  it  in  hand  and  probed  it  merci- 
fully. She  had  felt  the  sweet  sting  again  and  again, 
and  had  shrunk  from  him,  and  had  crawled  to  him.  The 
love  of  him  made  it  all  fascination.  How  did  he  learn 
to  read  at  any  moment  right  to  the  soul  of  a  woman? 
Did  experience  teach  him,  or  sentimental  sympathy? 
He  was  too  young,  he  was  too  manly.  It  must  be 
because  of  his  being  in  heart  and  mind  the  brother  to 
the  sister  with  women. 

Thames  played  round  them  on  his  pastoral  pipes. 
Bee-note  and  woodside  blackbird,  and  meadow  cow,  and 
the  leap  of  the  fish  of  the  silver  rolling  rings,  composed 
the  music. 

She  gave  her  mind  to  his  voice,  following  whither  it 
went;  half  was  in  air,  higher  than  the  swallow's,  exalt- 
ing him. 

How  is  it  he  is  the  brother  of  women?  They  are 
sisters  for  him  because  he  is  neither  sentimentalist  nor 
devourer.  He  will  not  flatter  to  feed  on  them.  The 
one  he  chooses,  she  will  know  love.  There  are  women 
who  go  through  life  not  knowing  love.     They  are  inani- 


LOVERS   MATED  357 

mate  automatic  machines,  who  lay  them  dowu  at  last, 
inquiring  wherefore  they  were  caused  to  move.  She  is 
not  of  that  sad  flock.  She  will  be  mated;  she  will  have 
the  right  to  call  him  Matey.  A  certain  Browny  called 
him  Matey.  She  lived  and  died.  A  certain  woman 
apes  Browny's  features  and  inherits  her  passion,  but 
has  forfeited  her  rights.  Were  she,  under  happiest  con- 
ditions, to  put  her  hand  in  his,  shame  would  burn  her. 
For  he  is  just  —  he  is  Justice;  and  a  woman  bringing 
him  less  than  his  due,  she  must  be  a  creature  of  the 
slime ! 

This  was  the  shadowy  sentiment  that  made  the  wall 
of  division  between  them.  There  was  no  other.  Lord 
Ormont  had  struck  to  fragments  that  barrier  of  the 
conventional  oath  and  ceremonial  union.  He  was  unjust 
—  he  was  Injustice.  The  weak  may  be  wedded,  they 
cannot  be  married,  to  Injustice.  And  if  we  have  the 
world  for  the  buttress  of  injustice,  then  is  Nature  the 
flaring  rebel;  there  is  no  fixed  order  possible.  Laws 
are  necessary  instruments  of  the  majority;  but  wlien 
they  grind  the  sane  human  being  to  dust  for  their  main- 
tenance, their  enthronement  is  the  rule  of  the  savage's 
old  deity,  sniffing  blood-sacrifice.  There  cannot  be  a 
based  society  upon  such  conditions.  An  immolation  of 
the  naturally-constituted  individual  arrests  the  general 
expansion  to  which  we  step,  decivilises  more,  and  is 
more  impious  to  the  God  in  man,  than  temporary 
revelries  of  a  licence  that  Nature  soon  checks. 


358  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Arrows  of  thought  resembling  these  shot  over  the  half 
of  Aminta's  mind  not  listening.  Her  lover's  head  was 
active  on  the  same  theme  while  he  spoke.  They  con- 
verged to  it  from  looks  crossing  or  catching  profiles,  or 
from  tones,  from  a  motion  of  hand,  from  a  chance  word. 
Insomuch  that  the  third  person  present  was  kept 
unobservant  only  by  her  studious  and  humble  specula- 
tions on  the  young  schoolmaster's  grand  project  to  bring 
the  nationalities  together,  and  teach  Old  England  to  the 
Continent  —  the  Continent  to  Old  England :  our  healthy 
games,  our  scorn  of  the  lie,  manliness;  their  intellectual 
valour,  diligence,  considerate  manners. 

"Just  to  name  a  few  of  the  things  for  interchange," 
said  Weyburn.  "As  to  method,  we  shall  be  their  dis- 
ciples. But  I  look  forward  to  our  fellows  getting  the 
lead.  No  hurry.  Why  will  they?  you  ask  in  petto. 
Well,  they're  emulous,  and  they  take  a  thrashing 
kindly.  That's  the  way  to  learn  a  lesson.  I've  seen 
our  fellows  beaten  and  beaten  —  never  the  courage 
beaten  out  of  them.  In  the  end,  they  won  and  kept 
the  field.  Tliey  have  a  lot  to  learn  —  principally  not 
to  be  afraid  of  ideas.  They  lose  heaps  of  time  before 
they  can  feel  at  home  with  ideas.  They  call  themselves 
practical  for  having  an  addiction  to  the  palpable.  It  is 
a  pretty  wreath  they  clap  on  their  deficiencies.  Practi- 
cal dogs  are  for  bones,  horses  for  corn.  I  want  the 
practical  Englishman  to  settle  his  muzzle  in  a  nosebag 
of  ideas.     When  he  has  once  got  hold  of  them,  he  makes 


LOVERS    MATED  359 

good  stuff  of  them.  On  the  Continent  ideas  have  wings 
and  pay  visits.  Here,  they're  stay-at-home.  Then  I 
want  our  fellows  to  have  the  habit  of  speaking  from 
the  chest.  They  shall  return  to  England  with  the 
whoop  of  the  mountains  in  them  and  ready  to  jump  out. 
They  shall  have  an  Achillean  roar;  and  they  shall  sing 
by  second  nature.  Don't  fear:  they'll  give  double  for 
anything  they  take.  I've  known  Italians,  to  whom  an 
Englishman's  honesty  of  mind  and  dealing  was  one  of 
the  dreams  of  a  better  humanity  they  had  put  in  a  box. 
Frenchmen,  too,  who,  when  they  came  to  know  us,  were 
astonished  at  their  epithet  of  j^erjide,  and  loved  us." 

"Emile,"  said  Aminta.  "You  remember  ^mile, 
Selina:   the  dear  little  French   boy  at   Mr.  Cuper's?" 

"  Oh,  I  do, "  Selina  responded. 

"He  will  work  with  Mr.  Weyburn  in  Switzerland." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  nice !  "  tlie  girl  exclaimed. 

Aminta  squeezed  Selina's  hand.  A  shower  of  tears 
clouded  her  eyes.  She  chose  to  fancy  it  was  because  of 
her  envy  of  the  modest,  busy,  peaceful  girl,  who  envied 
none.  "Epws  aviKare  fidxav,  conquers  also  insincerity  in 
the  sincerest.  She  was  vexed  with  her  full  breast,  and 
had  as  little  command  of  her  thoughts  as  of  her  feelings. 

"  Mr.  Weyburn  has  ideas  for  the  education  of  girls, 
too,"  she  said. 

"There's  the  task,"  said  he.  "It's  to  separate  them 
as  little  as  possible.  All  the  —  passez-moi  le  mot  — 
devilry  between  the  sexes  begins  at  their  separation. 


360  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

They're  foreigners  when  they  meet;  and  their  alliances 
are  not  always  binding.  The  chief  object  in  life,  if 
happiness  be  the  aim,  and  the  growing  better  than  we  are, 
is  to  teach  men  and  women  how  to  be  one;  for,  if  they're 
not,  then  each  is  a  morsel  for  the  other  to  prey  on. 
Lady  Charlotte  Eglett's  view  is,  that  the  greater  num- 
ber of  them  on  both  sides  hate  one  another." 

"Hate!"  exclaimed  Selina;  and  Aminta  said:  "Is 
Lady  Charlotte  Eglett  an  authority?" 

"  She  has  observed,  and  she  thinks.  She  has  in  the 
abstract  the  justest  of  minds :  and  that  is  the  curious 
point  about  her.  But  one  may  say  they  are  trained  at 
present  to  be  hostile.  Some  of  them  fall  in  love  and 
strike  a  truce,  and  still  they  are  foreigners.  They  have 
not  the  same  standard  of  honour.  They  might  have  it 
from  an  education  in  common." 

"But  there  must  be  also  a  lady  to  govern  the  girls?  " 
Selina  interposed. 

"  Ah,  yes ;  she  is  not  yet  found !  " 

"Would  it  increase  their  mutual  respect?  —  or  show 
of  respect,  if  you  like?"  said  Aminta,  with  his  last 
remark  at  work  as  the  shattering  bell  of  a  city's  insur- 
rection in  her  breast. 

"In  time,  under  management;  catching  and  grouping 
them  young.  A  boy  who  sees  a  girl  do  what  he  can't, 
and  would  like  to  do,  won't  take  refuge  in  his  muscular 
superiority  —  which,  by  the  way,  would  be  lessened." 

"You  suppose  their  capacities  are  equal?" 


LOVERS   MATED  361 

"Things  are  not  equal.  I  suppose  their  excellencies 
to  make  a  pretty  nearly  equal  sum  in  the  end.  But 
we're  not  weighing  them  each.  The  question  concerns 
the  advantage  of  both." 

"  That  seems  just !  " 

Aminta  threw  no  voice  into  the  word  "just."  It  was 
the  word  of  the  heavens  assuaging  earth's  thirst,  and 
she  was  earth  to  him.  Her  soul  yearned  to  the  man 
whose  mind  conceived  it. 

She  said  to  Selina,  "  We  must  plan  an  expedition  next 
year  or  the  year  after,  and  see  how  the  school  pro- 
gresses." 

All  three  smiled;  and  Selina  touched  and  held 
Aminta's  hand  shyly.  Visions  of  the  unseen  Switzer- 
land awed  her. 

Weyburn  named  the  Spring  holiday  time,  the  season 
of  the  flowering  Alpine  robes.  He  promised  welcome, 
pressed  for  a  promise  of  the  visit.  Warmly  it  was 
given.     "  We  will ;  we  will  indeed !  " 

"I  shall  look  forward,"  he  said. 

There  was  nothing  else  for  him  or  for  her,  except  to 
doat  on  the  passing  minute  that  slipped  when  seized. 
The  looking  forward  turned  them  to  the  looking  back 
at  the  point  they  had  flown  from,  and  yielded  a  momen- 
tary pleasure,  enough  to  stamp  some  section  of  a  picture 
on  their  memories,  which  was  not  the  burning  noiv  Love 
lives  for,  in  the  clasp,  if  but  of  hands.  Desire  of  it 
destroyed  it.     They  swung  to  the  future,  swung  to  the 


362  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

present  it  made  the  past,  sensible  to  the  quick  of  the 
noio  they  could  not  hold.  They  were  lovers.  Divided 
lovers  in  presence,  they  thought  and  they  felt  in  pieces. 
Feelings  and  thoughts  were  forbidden  to  speech.  She 
dared  look  the  very  little  of  her  heart's  fulness,  without 
the  disloyalty  it  would  have  been  in  him  to  let  a  small 
peep  of  his  heart  be  seen.  While  her  hand  was  not 
clasped  she  could  look  tenderly,  and  her  fettered  state, 
her  sense  of  unworthiness  muffled  in  the  deeps,  would 
keep  her  from  the  loosening  to  passion. 

He  who  read  through  her  lustrous,  transiently  dwelling 
eyes  had  not  that  security.  His  part,  besides  the  watch 
over  the  spring  of  his  hot  blood,  was  to  combat  a  host, 
insidious  among  which  was  unreason  calling  her  Browny, 
urging  him  to  take  his  own,  to  snatch  her  from  a  pos- 
sessor who  forfeited  by  undervaluing  her.  This  was 
the  truth  in  a  better-ordered  world :  she  belonged  to  the 
man  who  could  help  her  to  grow  and  to  do  her  work. 
But  in  the  world  we  have  around  us,  it  was  the  dis- 
torted truth;  and  keeping  passion  down,  he  was  able  to 
wish  her  such  happiness  as  pertained  to  safety  from 
shipwreck,  and  for  himself,  that  he  miglit  continue  to 
walk  in  the  ranks  of  the  sober  citizens. 

Oh,  true  and  right,  but  she  was  gloriously  beautiful! 
Day  by  day  she  surpassed  the  wondrous  Browny  of  old 
days.  All  women  were  eclipsed  by  her.  She  was  that 
fire  in  the  night  which  lights  the  night  and  draws  the 
night  to  look  at  it.     And  more:  this  queen  of  women 


I 


•     LOVEKS   MATED  363 

was  beginning  to  have  a  mind  at  work.  One  saw 
already  the  sprouting  of  a  mind  repressed.  She  had  a 
distinct  ability;  the  good  ambition  to  use  her  qualities. 
She  needed  life  and  air  —  that  is,  comprehension  of 
her,  encouragement,  the  companion  mate.  With  what 
strength  would  she  not  endow  him !  The  pride  in  the 
sharp  imagination  of  possessing  her  whispered  a  boast 
of  the  strength  her  mate  would  have  from  her.  His 
need  and  her  need  rushed  together  somewhere  down 
the  skies.  They  could  not,  he  argued,  be  separated 
eternally. 

He  had  to  leave  her.  Selina,  shocked  at  a  boldness 
she  could  not  understand  in  herself,  begged  him  to  stay 
and  tell  her  of  Switzerland  and  Alpine  flowers  and 
herbs,  and  the  valleys  for  the  gold  beetle  and  the  Apollo 
butterfly.  Aminta  hinted  that  Lord  Ormont  might 
expect  to  find  him  there,  if  he  came  the  next  morning; 
but  she  would  not  try  to  persuade,  and  left  the  decision 
with  him,  loving  him  for  the  pain  he  inflicted  by  going. 

Why,  indeed,  should  he  stay?  Both  could  ask;  they 
were  one  in  asking.  Anguish  balanced  pleasure  in 
them  both.  The  day  of  the  pleasure  was  heaven  to 
remember,  heaven  to  hope  for;  not  so  heavenly  to  pray 
for.  The  praying  for  it,  each  knew,  implored  their  joint 
will  to  decree  the  perilous  blessing.  A  shadowy  senti- 
ment of  duty  and  rectitude,  born  of  what  they  had 
suffered,  hung  betweeii  them  and  the  prayer  for  a 
renewal,  that  would  renew  the  tempting  they  were  con- 


364  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

scions  of  when  the  sweet,  the  strained,  throbbing  day 
was  over.  They  could  hope  for  chance  to  renew  it,  and 
then  they  would  be  irresponsible.  Then  they  would 
think  and  wish  discreetly,  so  as  to  have  it  a  happiness 
untainted.  In  refusing  now  to  take  another  day  or  pray 
for  it,  they  deserved  that  chance  should  grant  it. 

Aminta  had  said  through  Selina  the  utmost  her  self- 
defences  could  allow.  But  the  idea  of  a  final  parting 
cut  too  cruelly  into  her  life,  and  she  murmured,  "  I  shall 
see  you  before  you  go  for  good?  " 

"I  will  come,  here  or  in  London." 

"I  can  trust?" 

"Quite  certain." 

A  meeting  of  a  few  hasty  minutes  involved  none  of 
the  dangers  of  a  sunny,  long  summer  day;  and  if  it  did, 
the  heart  had  its  claims,  the  heart  had  its  powers  of 
resistance.     Otherwise  we  should  be  base  verily. 

He  turned  on  a  bow  to  leave  her  before  there  was  a 
motion  for  the  offer  of  her  hand. 

After  many  musings  and  frettings,  she  reached  the 
wisdom  of  that.  Wisdom  was  her  only  nourishment 
now.  A  cold,  lean  dietary  it  is;  but  he  dispensed  it, 
and  it  fed  her,  or  kept  her  alive.  It  became  a  proud 
feeling  that  she  had  been  his  fellow  in  the  achievement 
of  a  piece  of  wisdom;  though  the  other  feeling,  that 
his  hand's  kind  formal  touching,  without  pressure  of 
hers,  would  have  warmed  her  to  go  through  tlie  next 
interview  with  her  lord,  mocked  at  pure  satisfaction. 


LOVERS    MATED  365 

Did  he  distrust  himself?  Or  was  it  to  spare  her?  But  if 
so,  her  heart  was  quite  bare  to  him !    But  she  knew  it  was. 

Aminta  drove  her  questioning  heart  as  a  vessel  across 
blank  circles  of  sea,  where  there  was  nothing  save  the 
solitary  heart  for  answer.  It  answered  intelligibly  and 
comfortingly  at  last,  telling  her  of  proof  given  that  she 
could  repose  under  his  guidance  with  absolute  faith. 
Was  ever  loved  woman  more  blest  than  she  in  such 
belief?  She  had  it  firmly;  and  a  blessedness,  too,  in 
this  surety  wavering  beneath  shadows  of  the  uncertainty. 
Her  eyes  knew  it,  her  ears  were  empty  of  the  words. 
Her  heart  knew  it,  and  it  was  unconfirmed  by  reason. 
As  for  his  venturing  to  love  her,  he  feared  none.  And  no 
sooner  did  that  reflection  surge  than  she  stood  up  beside 
him  in  revolt  against  her  lion  and  lord.  Her  instinct 
judged  it  impossible  she  could  ever  have  yielded  her 
heart  to  a  man  lacking  courage.  Hence  —  what?  when 
cowardice  appeared  as  the  sole  impediment  to  happi- 
ness now! 

He  had  gone,  and  the  day  lived  again  for  both  of  them 
—  a  day  of  sheer  gold  in  the  translation  from  troubled 
earth  to  the  mind.  One  another's  beauty  through  the 
visage  into  the  character  was  newly  perceived  and  wor- 
shipped ;  and  the  beauties  of  pastoral  Thames,  the  tem- 
ple of  peace,  hardly  noticed  in  the  passing  of  the  day  — 
taken  as  air  to  the  breather;  until  some  chip  of  the 
scene,  round  which  an  emotion  had  curled,  was  vivid 
foreground  and  gateway  to  shrouded  romance :  it  might 


366  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

be  the  stream's  white  face  browning  into  willow-droopers, 
or  a  wagtail  on  a  water-lily  leaf,  or  the  fore-horse  of  an 
up-river  barge  at  strain  of  legs,  a  red-finned  perch  hung 
a  foot  above  the  pebbles  in  sun-veined  depths,  a  king- 
fisher on  the  scud  under  alders,  the  forest  of  the  bank- 
side  weeds. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

PREPARATIONS    FOR    A    RESOLVE 

That  day  receded  like  a  spent  billow,  and  lapsed 
among  the  others  advancing,  but  it  left  a  print  deeper 
than  events  would  have  stamped.  Aminta's  pen  declined 
to  run  to  her  lord;  and  the  dipping  it  in  ink  was  no 
acceleration  of  the  process.  A  sentence  bearing  likeness 
to  an  artless  infant's  trot  of  the  half-dozen  steps  to 
mother's  lap,  stumbled  upon  the  full  stop  midway. 
Desperate  determination  pushed  it  along,  and  there  was 
in  consequence  a  dead  stop  at  the  head  of  the  next  sen- 
tence. A  woman  whose  nature  is  insurgent  against  the 
majesty  of  the  man  to  whom  she  must,  among  the  sin- 
gular injunctions  binding  her,  regularly  write,  sees  no 
way  between  hypocrisy  and  rebellion.  For  rebellion, 
she,  with  the  pen  in  her  hand,  is  avowedly  not  yet  ripe; 
hypocrisy  is  abominable. 

If  she  abstained  from  writing,  he  might  travel  down 
to  learn  the  cause;  a  similar  danger,  or  worse,  haunted 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESOLVE  367 

the  writing  frigidly.  She  had  to  be  the  hypocrite  or 
else  —  leap. 

But  an  honest  woman  who  is  a  feeling  woman,  when 
she  consents  to  play  hypocrite,  cannot  do  it  by  halves. 
From  writing  a  short  cold  letter,  Aminta  wrote  a  short 
warm  one,  or  very  friendly.  Length  she  could  avoid, 
because  she  was  unable  to  fill  a  page.  It  seemed  that 
she  could  not  compose  a  friendly  few  lines  without  let- 
ting her  sex  be  felt  in  them.  What  she  had  put  away 
from  her,  so  as  not  to  feel  it  herself,  the  simulation  of 
ever  so  small  a  bit  of  feeling  brought  prominently  back ; 
and  where  she  had  made  a  cast  for  flowing  independent 
simplicity,  she  was  feminine,  ultra-feminine  to  her  read- 
ing of  it. 

Better  take  the  leap  than  be  guilty  of  double-dealing 
even  on  paper!  The  nature  of  the  leap  she  did  not 
examine. 

Her  keen  apprehension  of  the  price  payable  for  his 
benevolent  intentions  caught  scent  of  them  in  the  air. 
Those  Ormont  jewels  shone  as  emblems  of  a  detested 
subjection,  the  penalty  for  being  the  beautiful  woman 
raging  men  proclaimed.  Was  there  no  scheme  of  some 
other  sort,  and  far  less  agreeable,  to  make  amends  for 
Steignton?  She  was  shrewd  at  divination;  she  guessed 
her  lord's  design.  Rather  than  meet  Lady  Charlotte, 
she  proposed  to  herself  the  "leap"  immediately;  know- 
ing it  must  be  a  leap  in  the  dark,  hoping  it  might  be 
into  a  swimmer's  water.     She  had  her  own  pin-money 


368  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMENTA 

income,  and  she  loathed  the  chain  of  her  title.  So  the 
leap  would  at  least  be  honourable,  as  it  assuredly  would 
be  unregretted,  whatever  ensued. 

While  Aminta's  heart  held  on  to  this  debate,  and  in 
her  bed,  in  her  boat,  across  the  golden  valley  meadows 
beside  her  peaceful  little  friend,  she  gathered  a  gradual 
resolution  without  sight  of  agencies  or  consequences, 
Lord  Ormont  was  kept  from  her  by  the  struggle  to  mas- 
ter his  Charlotte  a  second  time  —  compared  with  which 
the  first  was  insignificant.  And  this  time  it  was  curi- 
ous: he  could  not  subdue  her  physique,  as  he  did  before; 
she  was  ready  for  him  each  day,  and  she  was  animated, 
much  more  voluble,  she  was  ready  to  jest.  The  reason 
being,  that  she  fought  now  on  plausibly  good  grounds : 
on  behalf  of  her  independent  action. 

Previously,  her  intelligence  of  the  ultimate  defeat 
lianging  over  the  mere  stubborn  defence  of  a  weak  posi- 
tion had  harassed  her  to  death's  door.  She  had  no  right 
to  retain  the  family  jewels;  she  had  the  most  perfect  of 
established  rights  to  refuse  doing  an  ignominious  thing. 
She  refused  to  visit  the  so-called  Countess  of  Ormont,  or 
leave  her  card,  or  take  one  step  to  warrant  the  woman 
in  speaking  of  her  as  her  sister-in-law.  And  no, —  it 
did  not  signify  that  her  brother  Rowsley  was  prohibited 
by  her  from  marrying  whom  he  pleased.  It  meant  that, 
to  judge  of  his  acts  as  those  of  a  reasoning  man,  he  would 
have  introduced  his  wife  to  his  relatives  —  the  relatives 
he   had   not   quarrelled   witli  —  immediately   upon   his 


PREPARATIONS   FOR    A   RESOLVE  369 

marriage,  unless  he  was  asliaraed  of  the  woman;  and  a 
wife  lie  was  ashamed  of  was  no  sister-in-law  for  her,  nor 
aunt  for  her  daughters.  Nor  should  she  come  playing 
the  Black  Venus  among  her  daughters'  husbands,  Lady 
Charlotte  had  it  in  her  bosom  to  say  additionally. 

Lord  Ormont  was  disconcerted  by  her  manifest  pleas- 
ure in  receiving  him  every  day.  Evidently  she  con- 
sented to  the  recurrence  of  a  vexatious  dissension  for  the 
enjoyment  of  having  him  with  her  hourly.  Her  dialectic, 
too,  was  cunning.  Impetuous  with  meaning,  she  forced 
her  way  to  get  her  meaning  out,  in  a  manner  effective  to 
strike  her  blow.  Anything  for  a  diversion  or  a  triumph 
of  the  moment!  He  made  no  way.  She  was  the  better 
fencer  at  the  tongue. 

Yet  there  was  not  any  abatement  of  her  deference  to 
her  brother;  and  this  little  misunderstanding  put  aside, 
he  was  the  Rowsley  esteemed  by  her  as  the  chief  of  men. 
She  foiled  him,  it  might  seem,  to  exalt  him  the  more. 
After  he  had  left  the  house,  visibly  annoyed  and  some- 
what stupefied,  she  talked  of  him  to  her  husband,  of  the 
soul  of  chivalry  Eowsley  was,  the  loss  to  his  country. 
Mr.  Eglett  was  a  witness  to  one  of  the  altercations,  when 
she,  having  as  usual  the  dialectical  advantage,  praised 
her  brother,  to  his  face,  for  his  magnanimous  nature; 
regretting  only  that  it  could  be  said  he  was  weak  on  the 
woman  side  of  him  —  which  was,  she  affirmed,  a  side 
proper  to  every  man  worth  the  name ;  but  in  his  case  his 
country  might  complain.     Of  what?  —  Well,  of  a  woman 

2  B 


370  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

—  What  had  she  done,  for  the  country  to  complain  of 
her?  —  Why,  then,  arts  or  graces,  she  had  bewitched 
and  weaned  him  from  his  public  duty,  his  military  ser- 
vice, his  patriotic  ambition. 

Lord  Ormont's  interrogations,  heightening  the  effect 
of  Charlotte's  charge,  appeared  to  Mr,  Eglett  as  a  giving 
of  himself  over  into  her  hands;  but  the  earl,  after  a 
minute  of  silence,  proved  he  was  a  tricky  combatant.  It 
was  he  who  had  drawn  on  Charlotte,  that  he  might  have 
his  opportunity  to  eulogise  —  "this  lady,  whom  you  con- 
tinue to  call  the  woman,  after  I  have  told  you  she  is  my 
wife."  According  to  him,  her  appeals,  her  entreaties 
that  he  should  not  abandon  his  profession  or  let  his 
ambition  rust,  had  been  at  one  period  constant. 

He  spoke  fervently  —  for  him  eloquently ;  and  he 
gained  his  point;  he  silenced  Lady  Charlotte's  tongue, 
and  impressed  Mr.  Eglett. 

When  the  latter  and  his  wife  were  alone,  he  let  her 
see  that  the  Countess  of  Ormont  was  becoming  a  person- 
age in  his  consideration. 

Lady  Charlotte  exclaimed:  "Hear  these  men  where 
it's  a  good-looking  woman  between  the  winds!  Do  you 
take  anything  Rowsley  says  for  earnest?  You  ought  to 
know  he  stops  at  no  trifle  to  get  his  advantage  over  you 
in  a  dispute.  That's  the  soldier  in  him.  It's  victory 
at  any  cost !  —  and  I  like  him  for  it.  Do  you  tell  me 
you  think  it  possible  my  brother  Rowsley  would  keep 
smothered  years  under  a  bushel  the  woman  he  can  sit 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A    RESOLVE  371 

here  magnifying  —  because  he  wants  to  lime  you  and 
me:  you  to  take  his  part,  and  me  to  go  and  call  the  noble 
creature  decked  out  in  his  line  fiction  my  sister-in-law. 
Xothing  '11  tempt  me  to  believe  my  brother  could  behave 
in  such  a  way  to  the  woman  he  respected !  " 

So  Mr.  Eglett  opined.     But  he  had  been  impressed. 

He  relieved  his  mind  on  the  subject  in  a  communica- 
tion to  Lord  Adderwood ;  who  habitually  shook  out  the 
contents  of  his  to  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley;  and  she, 
deeming  it  good  for  Aminta  to  have  information  of  the 
war  waging  for  her  behoof,  obtained  her  country  address, 
with  the  resolve  to  drive  down,  a  bearer  of  good 
news  to  the  dear  woman  she  liked  to  think  of,  look  at, 
and  occasionally  caress ;  besides  rather  tenderly  pitying 
her,  now  that  a  change  of  fortune  rendered  her  former 
trials  conspicuous. 

An  incident,  considered  grave  even  in  the  days  of  the 
duel  and  the  kicks  against  a  swelling  public  reprehen- 
sion of  the  practice,  occurred  to  postpone  her  drive  for 
four-and-twenty  hours.  London  was  shaken  by  rumours 
of  a  tragic  mishap  to  a  socially  well-known  gentleman 
at  the  Chiallo  fencing-rooms.  The  rumours  passing  from 
mouth  to  mouth  acquired,  in  the  nature  of  them,  sinis- 
ter colours  as  they  circulated.  Lord  Ormont  sent  Aminta 
word  of  what  he  called  "  a  bad  sort  of  accident  at  Chial- 
lo's,"  without  mentioning  names  or  alluding  to  suspicions. 

He  treated  it  lightly.  He  could  not  have  written  of 
it  with  such  unconcern  if  it  involved  the  secretary !     Yet 


372  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Aminta  did  seriously  ask  herself  whether  he  could;  and 
she  flew  rapidly  over  the  field  of  his  character^  seizing 
points  adverse,  points  favourably  ad  vocative,  balancing 
dubiously  —  most  unjustly :  she  felt  she  was  unjust. 
But  in  her  condition  the  heart  of  a  woman  is  instantly 
planted  in  jungle  when  the  spirits  of  the  two  men  closest 
to  her  are  made  to  stand  opposed  by  a  sudden  excitement 
of  her  fears  for  the  beloved  one.  She  cannot  see  widely, 
and  is  one  of  the  wild  while  the  fit  lasts ;  and,  after  it, 
that  savage  narrow  vision  she  had  of  the  unbeloved  re- 
tains its  vivid  print  in  permanence.  Was  she  unjust? 
A.minta  cited  corroboration  of  lier  being  accurate :  such 
was  Lord  Ormont!  and  although  his  qualities  of  gal- 
lantry, courtesy,  integrity,  honourable  gentleman,  pre- 
sented a  fair  low-level  account  on  the  other  side,  she 
had  so  stamped  his  massive  selfishness  and  icy  inaccessi- 
bility to  emotion  on  her  conception  of  him  that  the 
repulsive  figure  formed  by  it  continued  towering  when 
her  mood  was  kinder. 

Love  played  on  love  in  the  woman's  breast.  Her  love 
had  taken  a  fever  from  her  lord's  communication  of  the 
accident  at  Chiallo's,  and  she  pushed  her  alarm  to  imag- 
ine the  deadliest,  and  plead  for  the  right  of  confession 
to  herself  of  her  unrepented  regrets.  She  and  Matey 
Weyburn  had  parted  without  any  pressure  of  hands, 
without  a  touch.  They  were,  then,  unplighted  if  now 
the  grave  divided  them !  No  touch :  mere  glances !  And 
she  sighed  not,  as  she  pleaded,  for  the  touch,  but  for  the 

i 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESOLVE  373 

plighting  it  would  have  been.  If  now  she  had  lost  him, 
she  could  never  tell  herself  that  since  the  dear  old  buried 
and  night- walking  school-days  she.  had  said  once  Matey 
to  him,  named  him  once  to  his  face  Matey  Weyburn.  A 
sigh  like  the  roll  of  a  great  wave  breaking  against  a  wall 
of  rock  came  from  her  for  the  possibly  lost  chance  of 
naming  him  to  his  face  Matey, —  oh,  and  seeing  his  look 
as  she  said  it! 

The  boldness  might  be  fancied :  it  could  not  be  done. 
Agreeing  with  the  remote  inner  voice  of  her  reason  so 
far,  she  toned  her  exclamatory  foolishness  to  question, 
in  Reason's  plain,  deep,  hasso-profundo  accompaniment 
tone,  how  much  the  most  blessed  of  mortal  women  could 
do  to  be  of  acceptable  service  to  a  young  schoolmaster. 

There  was  no  reply  to  the  question.  But  it  became  a 
nestling  centre  for  the  skiey  flock  of  dreams,  and  for 
really  temperate  soundings  of  her  capacities,  tending  to 
the  depreciatory.  She  could  do  little.  She  entertained 
the  wish  to  work,  not  only  "for  the  sake  of  Somebody," 
as  her  favourite  poet  sang,  but  for  the  sake  of  working 
and  serving — proving  that  she  was  helpfuller  than  a  Coun- 
tess of  Ormont,  ranged  with  all  the  other  countesses  in 
china  and  Dresden  on  a  drawing-room  mantelpiece  for 
show.  She  could  organise,  manage  a  household,  manage 
people  too,  she  thought:  manage  a  husband?  The  word 
offends.  Perhaps  invigorate  him,  here  and  there  perhaps 
inspire  him,  if  he  would  let  her  breatlie.  Husbands  exist 
who  refuse  the  right  of  breathing  to  their  puppet  wives. 


374  LORD    ORMONT   AND    HIS    AMINTA 

Above  all,  as  it  struck  her,  she  could  assist,  and  be  more 
than  an  echo  of  one  nobler,  in  breathing  manliness,  high 
spirit,  into  boys.  With  that  idea  she  grazed  the  shal- 
lows of  reality,  and  her  dreams  whirred  from  the  nest 
and  left  it  hungrily  empty. 

Selina  Collett  was  writing  under  the  verandah  letters 
to  her  people  in  Suffolk,  performing  the  task  with  mar- 
vellous ease.  Aminta  noted  it  as  a  mark  of  superior 
ability,  and  she  had  the  envy  of  the  complex  nature 
observing  the  simple.  It  accused  her  of  some  guilti- 
ness, uncommitted  and  indefensible.  She  had  pushed 
her  anxiety  about  ''the  accident  at  Chiallo's"  to  an  ex- 
treme that  made  her  the  creature  of  her  sensibilities.  In 
the  midst  of  this  quiet  country  life  and  landscape,  these 
motionless  garden  flowers  headed  by  the  smooth  white 
river,  and  her  gentle  little  friend  so  homely  here,  the 
contemplation  of  herself  was  like  a  shriek  in  music. 
Worse  than  discordant,  she  pronounced  herself  inferior, 
unfit  mentally  as  well  as  bodily  for  the  dreams  of  com- 
panionship with  any  noble  soul  who  might  have  the 
dream  of  turning  her  into  something  better.  There  are 
couples  in  the  world,  not  coupled  by  priestly  circum- 
stance, who  are  close  to  the  true  union,  by  reason  of 
generosity  on  the  one  part,  grateful  devotion,  as  for  the 
gift  of  life,  on  the  other.  For  instance,  Mrs.  Lawrence 
Finchley  and  Lord  Adderwood,  which  was  an  instance 
without  resemblance;  but  Aminta's  heart  beat  thick  for 
what  it  wanted,  and  they  were  the  instance  of  two  that 


PEEPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESOLVE  375 

did  not  have  to  snap  false  bonds  of  a  marriage-tie  in  order 
to  walk  together  composedly  outside  it  —  in  honour? 
Oh,  yes,  yes !    She  insisted  on  believing  it  was  in  honour. 

She  saw  the  couple  issue  from  the  boathouse.  She 
had  stepped  into  the  garden  full  of  a  presentiment;  so 
she  fancied  the  moment  they  were  seen.  She  had,  in 
fact,  heard  a  noise  in  the  boathouse  while  thinking  of 
them,  and  the  effect  on  her  Avas  to  spring  an  idea  of 
mysterious  interventions  at  the  sight. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  rushed  to  her,  and  was  embraced. 

"You're  not  astonished  to  see  me?  Adder  drove  me 
down,  and  stopped  his  coach  at  the  inn,  and  rowed  me 
the  half-mile  up.  We  will  lunch,  if  you  propose;  but 
presently.  My  dear,  I  have  to  tell  you  things.  You 
have  heard?" 

"The  accident?" 

Aminta  tried  to  read  in  Mrs.  Lawrence's  eyes  whether 
it  closely  concerned  her. 

Those  pretty  eyes,  their  cut  of  lids  hinting  at  delicate 
affinities  with  the  rice-paper  lady  of  the  court  of  China, 
were  trying  to  peer  seriously. 

"  Poor  man !     One  must  be  sorry  for  him :  he " 

"Who?" 

"You've  not  heard,  then?"  Mrs.  Lawrence  dropped 
her  voice.     "Morsfield." 

Aminta  shivered.  "  All  I  have  heard  —  half  a  line 
from  my  lord  this  morning:  no  name.  It  was  at  the 
fencing-rooms,  he  said." 


376  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Yes,  he  wouldn't  write  more,"  said  Mrs.  Lawrence, 
nodding.  "  You  know,  he  would  have  had  to  do  it  him- 
self if  it  had  not  been  done  for  him.  Adder  saw  him 
some  days  back  in  a  brown  consultation  near  his  club 
with  Captain  May.  Oh,  but  of  course  it  was  accident! 
Did  he  call  it  so  in  his  letter  to  you?" 

"  One  word  of  Mr.  Morsfield :  he  is  wounded?  " 

"Past  cure:  he  has  the  thing  he  cried  for,  spoilt  boy 
as  he  was  from  his  birth.  I  tell  you  truth,  m'  Aminta, 
I  grieve  to  lose  him.  What  with  his  airs  of  the  foreign- 
tinted,  punctilious,  courtly  gentleman  covering  a  sur- 
vival of  the  ancient  British  forest  boar  or  bear,  he  was 
a  picture  in  our  modern  set,  and  piquant.  And  he  was 
devoted  to  our  sex,  we  must  admit,  after  the  style  of  the 
bears.  They  are  for  honey,  and  they  have  a  hug.  If 
he  hadn't  been  so  much  of  a  madman,  I  should  have 
liked  him  for  his  courage.  He  had  plenty  of  that,  noth- 
ing to  steer  it.  A  second  cousin  comes  in  for  his 
estates." 

"He  is  dead?"  Aminta  cried. 

"Yes,  dear,  he  is  gone.  What  the  women  think  of  it 
I  can't  say.  The  general  feeling  among  the  men  is  that 
some  one  of  them  would  have  had  to  send  him  sooner  or 
later.  The  curious  point.  Adder  says,  is  his  letting  it 
be  done  by  steel.  He  was  a  dead  shot,  dangerous  with 
the  small  sword,  as  your  Mr.  Weyburn  said,  only  soon 
off  his  head.  But  I  used  to  be  anxious  about  the  earl's 
meeting  him  with  pistols.     He  did  his  best  to  provoke 


PKEPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESOLVE  377 

it.  Here,  Adder," —  she  spoke  over  her  shoulder, —  "  tell 
Lady  Ormont  all  you  know  of  the  Morsfield-May  affair." 

Lord  Adderwood  bowed  compliance.  His  coolness 
was  the  masculine  of  Mrs.  Lawrence's  hardly  feminine 
in  treating  of  a  terrible  matter,  so  that  the  dull  red  facts 
had  to  be  disengaged  from  his  manner  of  speech  before 
they  sank  into  Aminta's  acceptance  of  them  as  credible. 

"  They  fought  with  foils,  buttons  off,  preliminary  cere- 
monies perfect;  salute  in  due  order;  guard,  and  at  it. 
Odd  thing  was,  nobody  at  Chiallo's  had  a  notion  of  the 
business  till  Morsfield  was  pinked.  He  wouldn't  be 
denied ;  went  to  work  like  a  fellow  meaning  to  be  skew- 
ered, if  he  couldn't  do  the  trick :  and  he  tried  it.  May 
had  been  practising  some  weeks.  He's  well  on  the  Con- 
tinent by  this  time.  It'll  blow  over.  Button  off  sheer 
accident.  I  wasn't  lucky  enough  to  see  the  encounter: 
came  in  just  when  Chiallo  was  lashing  his  poll  over 
Morsfield  flat  on  the  ground.  He  had  it  up  to  the  hilt. 
We  put  a  buttoned  foil  by  the  side  of  Morsfield,  and  all 
swore  to  secrecy.  As  it  is,  it'll  go  badly  against  poor 
Chiallo.  Taste  for  fencing  won't  be  much  improved  by 
the  affair.  They  quarrelled  in  the  dressing-room,  and 
fetched  the  foils  and  knocked  off  the  buttons  there.  A 
big  rascal  toady  squire  of  Morsfield's  did  it  for  him. 
Morsfield  was  just  up  from  Yorkshire.  He  said  he  was 
expecting  a  summons  elsewhere,  bound  to  await  it,  de- 
clined provocation  for  the  present.  May  filliped  him 
on  the  cheek." 


378  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

"Adder  conveyed  the  information  of  her  husband's 
flight  to  the  consolable  Amy,"  said  Mrs.  Lawrence. 

"He  had  to  catch  the  coach  for  Dover,"  Adderwood 
explained.  "His  wife  was  at  a  dinner-party.  I  saw 
her  at  midnight." 

"Fair  Amy  was  not  so  very  greatly  surprised?" 

"Quite  the  soldier's  wife!  " 

"  She  said  she  was  used  to  these  little  catastrophes. 
But,  Adder,  what  did  she  say  of  her  husband?" 

"  Said  she  was  never  anxious  about  him,  for  nothing 
would  kill  him." 

Mrs.  Lawrence  shook  a  doleful  head  at  Aminta. 

"You  see,  my  dear  Aminta,  here's  another,  and  proba- 
bly her  last,  chance  of  sharing  the  marquisate  gone. 
Who  can  fail  to  pity  her,  except  old  Time!  And  I'm 
sure  she  likes  her  husband  well  enough.  She  ought: 
no  Avoman  ever  had  such  a  servant.  But  the  captain  has 
not  been  known  to  light  without  her  sanction,  and  the 

inference  is Alas !  woe !    Fair  Amy  is  doomed  to  be 

the  fighting  captain's  bride  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
Adder  says  she  looked  handsome.  A  dinner-party  suits 
her  cosmetic  complexion  better  than  a  ball.  The  ac- 
count of  the  inquest  is  in  the  day's  papers,  and  we  were 
tolerably  rejoiced  we  could  drive  out  of  London  without 
having  to  reply  to  coroner's  questions." 

"He  died  —  soon?  "  Aminta's  voice  was  shaken. 

Mrs.  Lawrence  touched  at  her  breast,  it  might  be  for 
heart  or  lungs.     Judgiug  by  Aminta's  voice  and  face, 


PREPARATIONS   FOR  A  RESOLVE  379 

one  could  suppose  she  was  harking  back,  in  woman's 
way,  to  her  original  sentiment  for  the  man,  now  that  he 
lay  prostrate. 

Aminta  read  the  reproachful  irony  in  the  smile  ad- 
dressed to  her.  She  was  too  convulsed  by  her  many 
emotions  and  shouting  thoughts  to  think  of  defending 
herself. 

Selina,  in  the  drawing-room,  diligently  fingered  and 
classed  brown-black  pressed  weeds  of  her  neophyte's 
botany-folios.  The  sight  of  her  and  her  occupation 
struck  Aminta  as  that  of  a  person  in  another  world 
beyond  this  world  of  blood,  strangely  substantial  to 
view ;  and  one  heard  her  speak ! 

Guilty  ? —  no.  But  she  had  wished  to  pique  her  lord. 
After  the  term  of  a  length  of  months,  could  it  be  that 
the  unhappy  man  and  she  were  punished  for  the  half- 
minute's  acting  of  some  interest  in  him  ?  And  Lord 
Ormont  had  been  seen  consulting  Captain  May ;  or  was 
it  giving  him  directions  ? 

Her  head  burned.  All  the  barren  interrogations  were 
up,  running  and  knocking  for  hollow  responses ;  and, 
saving  a  paleness  of  face,  she  cloaked  any  small  show 
of  the  riot.  She  was  an  amiable  hostess.  She  had 
ceased  to  comprehend  Mrs.  Lawrence,  even  to  the  degree 
of  thinking  her  unfeminine.  She  should  have  known 
that  the  "  angelical  chimpanzee,"  as  a  friend,  once  told 
of  his  being  a  favourite  with  the  lady,  had  called  her, 
could  not  simulate  a  feeling,  and  had  not  the  slightest 


380  LORD   OEMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

power  of  pretence  to  compassion  for  an  ill-fated  person 
who  failed  to  quicken  her  enthusiasm.  In  that,  too,  she 
was  a  downright  boy.  Morsfield  was  a  kind  of  Bed- 
lamite to  her;  amusing  in  his  antics,  and  requiring  to 
be  manoeuvred  and  eluded  while  he  lived:  once  dead, 
just  a  tombstone,  of  interest  only  to  his  family. 

She  beckoned  Aminta  to  follow  her ;  and,  with  a  smirk 
of  indulgent  fun,  commended  Lord  Adderwood  to  a  study 
of  Selina  Collett's  botany-folios,  which  the  urbanest  of 
indifferent  gentlemen  had  slid  his  eyes  over  his  nose  to 
inspect  before  the  lunch. 

"You  ought  to  know  what  is  going  on  in  town,  my 
dear  Aminta.  You  have  won  the  earl  to  a  sense  of  his 
duty,  and  he's  at  work  on  the  harder  task  of  winning 
Lady  Charlotte  Eglett  to  a  sense  of  hers.  It's  tremen- 
dous. Has  been  forward  some  days,  and  no  sign  of 
yielding  on  either  side.  Mr.  Eglett,  good  man,  is  be- 
tween them,  catching  it  right  and  left ;  and  he  deserves 
his  luck  for  marrying  her.  Vows  she  makes  him  the 
best  of  wives.  If  he's  content,  I've  nothing  to  complain 
of.  You  must  be  ready  to  receive  her ;  my  lord  is  sure 
to  carry  the  day.  You  gulp.  You  won't  be  seeing  much 
of  her.  I'm  glad  to  say  he  is  condescending  to  terms  of 
peace  with  the  Horse  Guards.  We  hear  so.  You  may 
be  throning  it  officially  somewhere  next  year.  And  all's 
well  that  ends  well !     Say  that  to  me  I  " 

''  It  is,  when  the  end  comes,"  Aminta  replied. 

Mrs.  Lawrence's  cool  lips  were  pressed  to  her  cheek. 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESOLVE  381 

The  couple  and  their  waterman  rowed  away  to  the 
party  they  had  left  with  the  four-in-hand  at  their  inn. 

A  wind  was  rising.  The  trees  gave  their  swish  of 
leaves,  the  river  darkened  the  patch  of  wrinkles,  the 
bordering  flags  amid  the  reed-blades  dipped  and  streamed. 

Surcharged  with  unassimilated  news  of  events,  that 
made  a  thunder  in  her  head,  Aminta  walked  down  the 
garden  path,  meeting  Selina  and  bearing  her  on.  She 
had  a  witch's  will  to  rouse  gales.  Hers  was  not  the 
woman's  nature  to  be  driven  cowering  by  stories  of 
men's  bloody  deeds.  She  took  the  field,  revolted,  dis- 
severing herself  from  the  class  which  tolerated  them  — 
actuated  by  a  reflective  morality,  she  believed ;  and 
loathed  herself  for  having  aspired,  schemed,  to  be  a 
member  of  the  class.  But  it  was  not  the  class,  it  was 
against  her  lord  as  representative  of  the  class,  that  she 
was  now  the  rebel,  neither  naming  him  nor  imaging 
him.  Her  enveloping  mind  was  black  on  him.  Such  as 
one  of  those  hard  slaughtering  men  could  call  her  his 
own  ?  She  breathed  short  and  breathed  deep.  Her 
bitter  reason  had  but  the  common  pity  for  a  madman 
despatched  to  his  rest.  Yet  she  knew  hatred  of  her 
lord  in  his  being  suspected  as  instigator  or  accomplice 
of  the  hand  that  dealt  the  blow.  He  became  to  her 
thought  a  python,  whose  coils  were  about  her  person, 
insufferable  to  the  gaze  backward.  Had  he  his  eccentric 
novel  benevolent  purpose,  it  caused  her  a  shudder,  as  at 
threats  of  python's  acrid  slaver  seen  down  the  gaping  jaws. 


382  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Moments  like  these  are  the  mothers  in  travail  of  a 
resolve  joylessly  conceived,  undesired  to  clasp,  Neces- 
sity's offspring.  Thunderclouds  have  as  little  love  of 
the  lightnings  they  fling. 

Aminta  was  aware  only  of  her  torment.  The  trees  were 
bending,  the  water  hissing,  the  grasses  all  this  way  and 
that,  like  hands  of  a  delirious  people  in  surges  of  wreck. 
She  scorned  the  meaningless  shake  of  the  garments  of 
earth,  and  exclaimed :  "  If  we  were  by  the  sea  to-night ! " 

"  I  shall  be  to-morrow  night,"  said  Selina.  ''  I  shall 
think  of  you.     Oh  !  would  you  come  with  me  ?  " 

"  Would  5^ou  have  me  ?  " 

"  M}^  mother  will  indeed  be  honoured  by  your  consent- 
ing to  come." 

"  Write  to  lier  before  the  post  is  out." 

"  We  shall  travel  down  together  ?  " 

Aminta  nodded  and  smiled,  and  Selina  kissed  her 
hand  in  joy,  saying  that  down  home  she  would  not  be 
so  shy  of  calling  her  Aminta.     She  was  bidden  to  haste. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

VISITS    OF    FAREWELL 


The  noise  in  London  over  Adolphus  Morsfield's  trag- 
ical end  disturbed  Lord  Ormont  much  less  than  the 
cessation  of  letters  from  his  Aminta ;  and  that  likewise, 


VISITS   OF  FAREWELL  383 

considering  this  present  business  on  her  behalf,  he 
patiently  shrugged  at  and  pardoned,  foreseeing  her  peni- 
tent air.  He  could  do  it  lightly  after  going  some  way 
to  pardon  his  offending  country.  For  Aminta  had  not 
offended ;  his  robust  observation  of  her  was  moved  to 
the  kindly  humorous  by  a  reflective  view  here  and  there 
of  the  downright  woman  her  clever  little  shuffles  ex- 
posed her  to  be,  not  worse.  It  was  her  sex  that  made 
her  one  of  the  gliders  in  grasses,  some  of  whom  are 
venomous ;  but  she  belonged  to  the  order  only  as  an  in- 
nocuous blindworm.  He  could  pronounce  her  small  by- 
play with  Morsfield  innocent,  her  efforts  to  climb  the 
stairs  into  Society  quite  innocent;  judging  her,  of  course, 
by  her  title  of  woman.  A  woman's  innocence  has  a 
rainbow  skin.  Set  this  one  beside  other  women,  she 
comes  out  well,  fairly  well,  well  enough. 

Now  that  the  engagement  with  Charlotte  assumed  pro- 
portions of  a  series  of  battles,  properly  to  be  entitled  a 
campaign,  he  had,  in  his  loneliness,  fallen  into  the  habit 
of  reflecting  at  the  close  of  his  day's  work ;  and  the  rub- 
bing of  that  unused  opaque  mirror  hanging  inside  a  man 
of  action  had  helped  him  piecemeal  to  perceive  bits  of 
his  conduct,  entirely  approved  by  him,  which  were  inti- 
mately connected,  nevertheless,  with  a  train  of  circum- 
stances that  he  disliked  and  could  not  charge  justly 
upon  any  other  shoulders  than  his  own.  What  was  to 
be  thought  of  it  ?  He  would  not  be  undergoing  this 
botheration   of  the   prolonged  attempt  to  bring  a  stub- 


S84  LORD  ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

born  woman  to  a  sense  of  her  duty,  if  he  had  declared 
his  marriage,  in  the  ordinary  style,  and  given  his  young 
countess  her  legitimate  place  before  the  world.  What 
impeded  it  ?  The  shameful  ingratitude  of  his  country- 
men to  the  soldier  who  did  it  eminent  service  at  a  crisis 
of  the  destinies  of  our  Indian  Empire  !  He  could  not 
condone  the  injury  done  to  him  by  entering  among  tliem 
again.  Too  like  the  kicked  cur,  that!  He  retired  — 
call  it  "  sulked  in  his  tent,"  if  you  like.  His  wife  had 
to  share  his  fortunes.  He  being  slighted,  she  necessarily 
was  shadowed.  For  a  while  she  bore  it  contentedly 
enough ;  then  began  her  mousy  scratches  to  get  into  the 
room  off  the  wainscot ;  without  blame  from  him,  she 
behaved  according  to  her  female  nature. 

Yes,  but  the  battles  with  Charlotte  forced  on  his  recog- 
nition once  more,  and  violently,  the  singular  conse- 
quences of  his  retirement  and  Coriolanus  quarrel  with 
his  countrymen.  He  had  doomed  himself  ever  since  to 
a  contest  with  women.  First  it  was  his  Queen  of  Ama- 
zons, wlio,  if  vanquished,  was  not  so  easily  vanquished  j 
and,  in  fact,  doubtfully,  —  for  now,  to  propitiate  her,  he 
had  challenged,  and  must  overcome  or  be  disgraced,  the 
toughest  Amazonian  warrior  man  could  stand  against  at 
cast  of  dart  or  lock  of  arms.  No  day  scored  an  advantage  ; 
and  she  did  not  apparently  suffer  fatigue.  He  did :  that 
is  to  say,  he  was  worried  and  hurried  to  have  the  wrangle 
settled  and  Charlotte  at  Aminta's  feet.  He  gained  not 
an  inch  of  ground.     His  principle  in  a  contention  of  the 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  385 

sort  was  to  leave  the  woman  to  the  practice  of  her 
obvious  artifices,  and  himself  simply  hammer,  incessantly 
hammer.  But  Charlotte  hammered  as  well.  The  modest 
position  of  the  defensive  negative  was  not  to  her  taste. 
The  moment  he  presented  himself  she  flew  out  upon 
some  yesterday's  part  of  the  argument  and  carried  the 
war  across  the  borders,  in  attacks  on  his  character  and 
qualities  —  his  weakness  regarding  women,  his  inca- 
pacity to  forgive,  and  the  rest.  She  hammered  on  that 
head.  As  for  any  prospect  of  a  termination  of  the 
strife,  he  could  see  none  in  her  joyful  welcome  to  him 
and  regretful  parting  and  pleased  appointment  of  the 
next  meeting  day  after  day. 

The  absurdest  of  her  devices  for  winding  him 
off  his  aim  was  to  harp  on  some  new  word  she  had 
got  hold  of:  as,  for  example,  to  point  out  to  him  his 
aptitudes,  compliment  him  on  his  aptitudes,  recom- 
mend him  to  study  and  learn  the  limitations  of  his 
aptitudes  !  She  revelled  in  something  the  word  unfolded 
to  her. 

However,  here  was  the  point :  she  had  to  be  beaten. 
So,  if  she,  too,  persisted  in  hammering,  he  must  employ 
her  female  weapon  of  artifice  with  her.  One  would 
gladly  avoid  the  stooping  to  it  in  a  civil  dispute,  in 
which  one  is  not  so  gloriously  absolved  for  lying  and  en- 
trapping as  in  splendid  war. 

Weyburn's  name  was  announced  to  him   at  an  early 
hour  on  a  Thursday  morning.     My  lord  nodded  to  the 
2  c 


386  LORD  ORMONT  AND  HIS  AMINTA 

footman ;  he  nodded  to  himself  over  a  suggestion  started 
in  a  tactical  intelligence  by  the  name. 

"  Ah  !  you're  off  ?  "  he  accosted  the  young  man. 

''  I  have  come  to  take  my  leave,  my  lord." 

''  Nothing  new  in  the  morning  papers  ?  " 

"  A  report  that  Captain  May  intends  to  return  and 
surrender." 

"Not  before  a  month  has  passed,  if  he  follows  my 
counsel." 

"  To  defend  his  character." 

"He has  none." 

"  His  reputation." 

"  He  has  too  much." 

"  These  charges  against  him  must  be  intolerable." 

"  Was  he  not  a  bit  of  a  pupil  of  yours  ?  " 

"We  practised  two  or  three  times  —  nothing  more." 

"  Morsfield  was  a  wasp  at  a  feast.  Somebody  had  to 
crush  him.  I've  seen  the  kind  of  man  twice  in  my  life  ; 
and  exactly  the  kind  of  man.  If  their  law  puts  down 
duelling,  he  rules  the  kingdom  ! " 

"My  lord,  I  shovild  venture  to  say  the  kind  of  man 
can  be  a  common  annoyance  because  the  breach  of  the 
law  is  countenanced." 

"  Bad  laws  are  best  broken.  A  society  that  can't  get 
a  scouring  now  and  then  will  be  a  dirty  set." 

With  a  bend  of  the  head,  in  apology  for  speaking  of 
himself,  Weyburn  said  :  "  I  have  acted  on  my  view.  I 
declined  a  challensre  from  a  sort  of  henchman  of  his." 


VISITS   OF  FAREWELL  387 

"  Oh !  a  poacher's  lurcher  ?  You  did  right.  Fight 
such  fellows  with  constables.  You  have  seen  Lady 
Charlotte  ?  " 

"  I  am  on  my  way  to  her  ladyship." 

"  Do  me  this  favour.  Fourteen  doors  up  the  street  of 
her  residence,  my  physician  lives.  I  have  to  consult 
him  at  once.     Dr.  Rewkes." 

Weyburn  bowed.  Lady  Charlotte  could  not  receive 
him  later  than  half-past  ten  of  the  morning,  he  said. 

"  This  morning  she  can,"  said  my  lord.  "  You  will 
tell  Dr.  Rewkes  that  it  is  immediate.  I  rather  regret 
your  going.  I  shall  be  in  a  controversy  with  the  Horse 
Guards  about  our  cavalry  saddles.  It  would  be  regi- 
ments of  raw  backs  the  first  fortnight  of  a  campaign," 

The  earl  discoursed  on  saddles  ;  and  passed  to  high 
eulogy  of  our  Hanoverian  auxiliar  troopers  in  the  Penin- 
sula :  "  good  husbands,"  he  named  them  quaintly,  speak- 
ing of  their  management  of  their  beasts.  Thence  he 
diverged  to  Frederic's  cavalry,  rarely  matched  for 
shrewdness  and  endurance  ;  to  the  deeds  of  the  Liech- 
tenstein Hussars ;  to  the  great  things  Blucher  did  with 
his  horsemen. 

The  subject  was  interesting;  but  Weyburn  saw  the 
clock  at  past  the  half  after  ten.  He  gave  a  slight  sign 
of  restiveness,  and  was  allowed  to  go  when  the  earl  had 
finished  his  pro  and  con  upon  Arab  horses  and  Mameluke 
saddles.  Lord  Ormont  nicked  his  head,  just  as  at  their 
first  interview  :  he  was  known  to  have  an  objection  to 


388  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

the  English  shaking  of  hands.  "Good  morning,"  he 
said;  adding  a  remark  or  two,  of  which  et  cetera  may 
stand  for  an  explicit  rendering.  It  concerned  the  young 
man's  prosperity:  my  lord's  conservative  plain  sense 
was  in  doubt  of  the  prospering  of  a  giddy  pate,  however 
good  a  worker.  His  last  look  at  the  young  man,  who 
had  not  served  him  badly,  held  an  anticipation  of  possi- 
bly some  day  seeing  a  tatterdemalion  of  shipwreck,  a 
rueful  exhibition  of  ideas  put  to  the  business  of  life. 

Weyburn  left  the  message  with  Dr.  Rewkes  in  person. 
It  had  not  seemed  to  him  that  Lord  Ormont  was  one  re- 
quiring the  immediate  attendance  of  a  physician.  By 
way  of  accounting  to  Lady  Charlotte  for  the  lateness  of 
his  call,  he  mentioned  the  summons  he  had  delivered. 

"  Oh,  that's  why  he  hasn't  come  yet,"  said  she. 
"  We'll  sit  and  talk  till  he  does  come.  I  don't  wonder 
if  his  bile  has  been  stirred.  He  can't  oil  me  to  credit 
what  he  pumps  into  others.  His  Lady  Ormont !  I  be- 
lieve in  it  less  than  ever  I  did.  Morsfield  or  no  Mors- 
field  —  and  now  the  poor  wretch  has  got  himself  pinned 
to  the  plank,  like  my  grandson  Bobby's  dragonflies,  I 
don't  want  to  say  anything  further  of  him  —  she  doesn't 
have  much  of  a  welcome  at  Steignton !  If  I  were  a 
woman  to  wager  as  men  do,  I'd  stake  a  thousand  pounds 
to  five  on  her  never  stepping  across  the  threshold  of 
Steignton.  All  very  well  in  London,  and  that  place  he 
hires  up  at  Marlow.  He  respects  our  home.  That's 
how  I  know  my  brother  Rowsley  still  keeps  a  sane  man. 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  389 

A  fortune  on  it !  —  and  so  says  Mr.  Eglett.  Any  reason- 
able person  must  think  it.  He  made  a  fool  of  some 
Hampton-Evey  at  Madrid,  if  he  went  through  any  cere- 
mony—  and  that  I  doubt.  But  she  and  old  (what  do 
they  call  her  ?)  may  have  insisted  upon  the  title,  as 
much  as  they  could.  He  sixty,  she  under  twenty,  I'm 
told.  Pagnell's  the  name.  That  aunt  of  a  good-looking 
young  woman  sees  a  nobleman  of  sixty  admiring  her  five 
feet  seven  or  so  —  she's  tall — of  marketable  merchan- 
dise, and  she  doesn't  need  telling  that  at  sixty  he'll  give 
the  world  to  possess  the  girl.  But  not  his  family 
honour !  He  stops  at  that.  Why  ?  Lord  Ormont's 
made  of  pride !  He'll  be  kind  to  her,  he'll  be  generous, 
he  won't  forsake  her ;  she'll  have  her  portion  in  his  will, 
and  by  the  course  of  things  in  nature,  she'll  outlive  him 
and  marry,  and  be  happy,  I  hope.  Only  she  won't  enter 
Steignton.  You  remember  what  I  say.  You'll  live 
when  I'm  gone.  It's  the  thirst  of  her  life  to  be  mistress 
of  Steignton.  Not  she!  —  though  Lord  Ormont  would 
have  us  all  open  our  doors  to  her ;  mine  too,  now  he's 
about  it.  He  sets  his  mind  on  his  plan,  and  he  forgets 
rights  and  dues  —  everything  ;  he  must  have  it  as  his 
will  dictates.  That's  how  he  made  such  a  capital  soldier. 
Yovi  know  the  cavalry  leader  he  was.  If  they'd  given 
him  a  field  in  Europe  !  His  enemies  admit  that.  Twelve  ! 
and  my  clock's  five  minutes  or  more  slow.  What  can 
Rowsley  be  doing  ?  " 

She  rattled  backward  on  the  scene  at  Steignton,  and 


390  LORD    ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

her  brother's  handsome  preservation  of  his  dignity: 
"  stood  it  like  the  king  he  is  !  "  and  to  the  Morsfield-May 
encounter,  which  had  prevented  another ;  and  Mrs.  May 
was  rolled  along  in  the  tide,  with  a  hint  of  her  good 
reason  for  liking  Lord  Ormont;  also  the  change  of 
opinion  shown  by  the  Press  as  to  Lord  Ormont's  grand 
exploit.  Referring  to  it,  she  flushed  and  jigged  on  her 
chair  for  a  saddle  beneath  her.  And  that  glorious 
Indian  adventure  warmed  her  to  the  man  who  had 
celebrated  it  among  his  comrades  when  a  boy  at 
school. 

"  You're  to  teach  Latin  and  Greek,  you  said.  For 
you're  right:  we  English  can't  understand  the  words 
we're  speaking,  if  we  don't  know  a  good  deal  of  Latin  and 
some  Greek.  '  Conversing  in  tokens,  not  standard  coin,' 
you  said,  I  remember ;  and  there'll  be  a  '  general  rabble 
tongue,'  unless  we  English  are  drilled  in  the  languages 
we  filched  from.  Lots  of  lords  and  ladies  want  the 
drilling,  then  !  I'll  send  some  over  to  you  for  Swiss  air 
and  roots  of  the  English  tongue.  Oh,  and  you  told  me 
you  supported  Lord  Ormont  on  his  pet  argument  for 
corps  cV elite;  and  you  quoted  Virgil  to  back  it.  Let  me 
have  that  line  again  —  in  case  of  his  condescending  to 
write  to  the  papers  on  the  subject." 

Weyburn  repeated  the  half-line. 

"  Good :  I  won't  forget  now.  And  you  said  the 
French  act  on  that  because  they  follow  human  nature, 
and  the  English  don't.     We  '  bully  it,'  you  said.     That 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  391 

was  on  our  drive  down  to  Steignton.  I  hope  you'll  suc- 
ceed. You'll  be  visiting  England.  Call  on  me  in 
London  or  at  01  me r  —  only  mind  and  give  me  warning. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you.  I've  got  some  ideas  from 
you.  If  I  meet  a  man  who  helps  me  to  read  the  world 
and  men  as  they  are,  I'm  grateful  to  him ;  and  most 
people  are  not,  you'll  find.  They  want  you  to  show 
them  what  they'd  like  the  world  to  be.  We  don't  agree 
about  a  lady.  You're  in  the  lists,  lance  in  rest,  all  for 
chivalry.  You're  a  man,  and  a  young  man.  Have  you 
taken  your  leave  of  her  yet  ?  She'll  expect  it,  as  a 
proper  compliment." 

"I  propose  running  down  to  take  my  leave  of  Lady 
Ormont  to-morrow,"  replied  Weyburn. 

"  She  is  handsome  ?  " 

"  She  is  very  handsome." 

"  Beautiful,  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Oh,  my  lady,  it  would  only  be  a  man's  notion  !  " 

"  Now,  that's  as  good  an  answer  as  could  be  made ! 
You're  sure  to  succeed.  I'm  not  the  woman's  enemy. 
But  let  her  keep  her  place.  Why,  Rowsley  can't  be 
coming  to-day  !     Did  Lord  Ormont  look  ill  ?  " 

''It  did  not  strike  me  so." 

"He's  between  two  fires.  A  man  gets  fretted.  But 
I  sha'n't  move  a  step.  I  dare  say  she  won't.  Especially 
with  that  Morsfield  out  of  the  way.  You  do  mean  you 
think  her  a  beauty.  Well,  then,  there'll  soon  be  a  suc- 
cessor to  Morsfield.     Beauties  will  have  their  weapons, 


392  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

and  they  can  hit  on  plenty  ;  and  it's  nothing  to  me,  as 
long  as  I  save  my  brother  from  their  arts." 

Weyburn  felt  he  had  done  his  penance  in  return  for 
kindness.  He  bowed  and  rose.  Lady  Charlotte  stretched 
out  her  hand. 

''  We  shall  be  sending  you  a  pupil  some  day,"  she 
said,  and  smiled.  "  Forward  your  address  as  soon  as 
you're  settled." 

Her  face  gave  a  glimpse  of  its  youth  in  a  cordial  fare- 
well smile. 

Lord  Ormont  had  no  capacity  to  do  the  like,  although 
they  were  strictly  brother  and  sister  in  appearance. 
The  smallest  difference  in  character  rendered  her  com- 
plex and  kept  him  simple.  She  had  a  thirsting  mind. 
Weyburn  fancied  that  a  close  intimacy  of  a  few  months 
would  have  enabled  him  to  lift  her  out  of  her  smirching 
and  depraving  mean  jealousies.  He  speculated,  as  he 
trod  the  street,  on  little  plots  and  surprises,  which 
would  bring  Lady  Charlotte  and  Lady  Ormont  into 
presence,  and  end  by  making  friends  of  them.  Suppos- 
ing that  could  be  done.  Lady  Ormont  might  be  righted 
by  the  intervention  of  Lady  Charlotte  after  all. 

Weyburn  sent  his  dream  flying  with  as  dreamy  an 
after-thought:  "Funny  it  will  be  then  for  Lady  Char- 
lotte to  revert  to  the  stuff  she  has  been  droning  in  my 
ear  half  an  hour  ago  !  —  Look  well  behind,  and  we  see 
spots  where  we  buzzed,  lowed,  bit  and  tore;  and  not 
until  we  have  cast  that  look  and  seen  the  brute  are  we 
human  creatures." 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  393 

A  crumb  of  reflection  such  as  this  could  brace  him, 
adding  its  modest  maravedi  to  his  prized  storehouse  of 
gain,  fortifying  with  assurances  of  his  having  a  con- 
crete basis  for  his  business  in  life.  His  great  youthful 
ambition  had  descended  to  it,  but  had  sunk  to  climb  on 
a  firmer  footing. 

Arthur  Abner  had  his  next  adieu.  They  talked  of 
Lady  Ormont,  as  to  whose  position  of  rightful  Countess 
of  Ormont  Mr.  Abner  had  no  doubt.  He  said  of  Lady 
Charlotte :  "  She  has  a  clear  head ;  but  she  loves  her 
'  brother  Rowsley '  excessively ;  and  any  excess  pushes  to 
craziness." 

He  spoke  to  Weyburn  of  his  prospects  in  the  usually, 
perhaps  necessarily,  cheerless  tone  of  men  who  recognise 
by  contrast  the  one  mouse's  nibbling  at  a  mountain  of 
evil.  "To  harmonise  the  nationalities,  my  dear  boy!  — 
teach  Christians  to  look  fraternally  on  Jews !  David 
was  a  harper,  but  the  sitting  of  him  down  to  roll  off  a 
fugue  on  one  of  your  cathedral  organs  would  not  impose 
a  heavier  task  than  you  are  undertaking.  You  have  my 
best  wishes,  whatever  aid  I  can  supply.  But  we're 
nearer  to  King  John's  time  than  to  your  ideal,  as  far  as 
the  Jews  go." 

"  Not  in  England." 

"  Less  in  England,"  Abner  shrugged. 

"You  have  beaten  the  Christians  on  the  field  they 
challenged  you  to  enter  for  a  try.  They  feel  the  pinch 
in  their   interests   and   their   vanity.     That   will   pass. 


394  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

I'm  for  the  two  sides,  under  the  name  of  Justice ;  and 
I  give  the  palm  to  whichever  of  the  two  first  gets  hold 
of  the  idea  of  Justice.     My  old  schoolmate's  well  ?  " 

"  Always  asking  after  Matey  Weyburn  ! " 

"  He  shall  have  my  address  in  Switzerland.  You  and 
I  will  be  corresponding." 

Now  rose  to  view  the  visit  to  the  lady  who  was  Lady 
Ormont  on  the  tongue,  Aminta  at  heart ;  never  to  be 
named  Aminta  even  to  himself.  His  heart  broke  loose 
at  a  thought  of  it. 

He  might  say  Browny.  For  that  was  not  serious  with 
the  intense  present  signification  the  name  Aminta  had. 
Browny  was  queen  of  the  old  school-time  —  enclosed 
it  in  her  name ;  and  that  sphere  enclosed  her,  not  exclud- 
ing him.  And  the  dear  name  of  Browny  played  gently, 
humorously,  fervently,  too,  with  life;  not  pathetically, 
as  that  of  Aminta  did  when  came  a  whisper  of  her  situa- 
tion, her  isolation,  her  friendlessness  :  hardly  dissimilar 
to  what  could  be  imagined  of  a  gazelle  in  the  streets  of 
London  City.  The  Morsfields  were  not  all  slain.  The 
Weyburns  would  be  absent. 

At  the  gate  of  his  cottage  garden  Weyburn  beheld 
a  short  unfamiliar  figure  of  a  man  with  dimly  remem- 
bered features.  Little  CoUett  he  still  was  in  height.  The 
schoolmates  had  not  met  since  the  old  days  of  Cuper's. 

Little  Collett  delivered  a  message  of  invitation  from 
Selina,  begging  Mr.  Weyburn  to  accompany  her  brother 
on  the  coach  to  Harwich  next  day,  and  spend  two  or 


VISITS  OF   FAREWELL  395 

three  days  by  the  sea.  Bxit  Wey burn's  mind  had  been 
set  in  the  opposite  direction  —  up  Thames  instead  of 
down. 

He  was  about  to  refuse,  but  he  checked  his  voice  and 
hummed.  Words  of  Selina's  letter  jumped  in  italics. 
He  perceived  Lady  Ormont's  hand.  For  one  thing, 
would  she  be  at  Great  Marlow  alone  ?  And  he  knew 
that  hand  —  how  deftly  it  moved  and  moved  others. 
Selina  CoUett  would  not  have  invited  him  with  under- 
linings  merely  to  see  a  shoreside  house  and  garden. 
Her  silence  regarding  a  particular  name  showed  her  to 
be  under  injunction,  one  might  guess.  At  worst,  it 
would  be  the  loss  of  a  couple  of  days ;  worth  the  ven- 
ture.    They  agreed  to  journey  by  coach  next  day. 

Facing  eastward  in  the  morning,  on  a  seat  behind  the 
coachman,  Weybuvn  had  a  seafaring  man  beside  him, 
bound  for  the  good  port  of  Harwich,  where  his  family 
lived,  and  thence  by  his  own  boat  to  Flushing.  Wey- 
burn  set  him  talking  of  himself,  as  the  best  way  of 
making  him  happy;  for  it  is  the  theme  which  pricks 
to  speech,  and  so  liberates  an  uncomfortably  locked-up 
stranger ;  who,  if  sympathetic  to  human  proximity,  is 
thankful.  They  exchanged  names,  delighted  to  find 
they  were  both  Matthews ;  whereupon  Matthew  of  the 
sea  demanded  the  paw  of  Matthew  of  the  land,  and 
there  was  a  squeeze.  The  same  with  little  Collett, 
after  hearing  of  him  as  the  old  schoolmate  of  the  estab- 
lished new  friend.     Then  there  was  talk.     Little  Collett 


396  LORD   ORMONT    AND   HIS    AMINTA 

named  Felixstowe  as  the  village  of  his  mother's  house 
and  garden  sloping  to  the  sands.  "  That's  it  —  you  have 
it,"  said  the  salted  Matthew :  "  peace  is  in  that  spot, 
and  there  I've  sworn  to  pitch  my  tent  when  I'm  inca- 
pacitated for  further  exercise  —  profitable,  so  to  speak. 
My  eldest  girl  has  a  bar  of  amber  she  picked  up  one 
wash  of  the  tide  at  Felixstowe,  and  there  it  had  been 
lying  sparkling,  unseen,  hours,  the  shore  is  that  solitary. 
What  I  like !  —  a  quiet  shore  and  a  peopled  sea.  Ever 
been  to  Brighton  ?     There  it's  t'other  way." 

Not  long  after  he  had  mentioned  the  time  of  early 
evening  for  their  entry  into  his  port  of  Harwich,  the 
coach  turned  quietly  over  on  a  bank  of  the  roadside, 
depositing  outside  passengers  quite  safely,  in  so  matter- 
of-course  a  way,  that  only  the  screams  of  an  uninjured 
lady  inside  repressed  their  roars  of  laughter.  One  of 
the  wheels  had  come  loose,  half  a  mile  off  the  nearest 
town.  Their  entry  into  Harwich  was  thereby  delayed 
until  half-past  nine  at  night.  Full  of  consideration  for 
the  new  mates  now  fast  wedded  to  his  heart  by  an  acci- 
dent, Matthew  Shale  proposed  to  Matthew  Weyburn, 
instead  of  the  bother  of  crossing  the  ferry  with  a  port- 
manteau and  a  bag  at  that  late  hour,  to  svip  at  his  house, 
try  the  neighbouring  inn  for  a  short  sleep,  and  ship  on 
board  his  yawl,  the  honest  Susan,  to  be  rowed  ashore  off 
the  Swin  to  Felixstowe  sands  no  later  than  six  o'clock 
of  a  summer's  morning,  in  time  for  a  bath  and  a  swim 
before  breakfast.     It  sounded  well — it  sounded  sweetly. 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  397 

Weyburn  suggested  the  counter  proposal  of  supper  for 
the  three  at  the  inn.  But  the  other  MattheAv  said :  "  I 
married  a  cook.  She  expects  a  big  appetite,  and  she 
always  keeps  warm  when  I'm  held  away,  no  matter  how 
late.     Sure  to  be  enough." 

Beds  were  secured  at  the  inn ;  after  which  came  the 
introduction  to  Mrs.  Shale,  the  exhibition  of  Susan 
Shale's  bar  of  amber,  the  dish  of  fresh-fried  whiting,  the 
steak  pudding,  a  grog,  tobacco,  rest  at  the  inn,  and  a 
rousing  bang  at  the  sleepers'  doors  when  the  unwonted 
supper  in  them  withheld  an  answer  to  the  intimating 
knock.  Young  Matthew  Shale,  who  had  slept  on  board 
the  Susan,  conducted  them  to  her  boat.  His  glance  was 
much  drawn  to  the  very  white  duck  trousers  Weyburn 
had  put  on,  for  a  souvenir  of  the  approbation  they  had 
won  at  Marlow.  They  were  on,  and  so  it  was  of  no  use 
for  young  Matthew  to  say  they  were  likely  to  bear  away 
a  token  from  the  Susari.  She  was  one  among  the  dam- 
sels of  colour,  and  free  of  her  tokens,  especially  to  the 
spotless. 

How  it  occurred,  nobody  saw ;  though  everybody  saw 
how  naturally  it  must  occur  for  the  white  ducks  to 
"  have  it  in  the  eye "  by  the  time  they  had  been  on 
board  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Weyburn  got  some  fun  out 
of  them,  for  a  counter-balance  to  a  twitch  of  sentimental 
regret,  scarcely  decipherable,  as  that  the  last  view  of  him 
should  bear  a  likeness  of  Browny's  recollection  of  her 
first. 


398  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS    AMINTA 

A  glorious  morning  of  flushed  open  sky  and  sun  on 
sea  chased  all  small  thoughts  out  of  it.  The  breeze  was 
from  the  west,  and  the  Susan,  lightly  laden,  took  the 
heave  of  smooth  rollers  with  a  flowing  current-curtsey  in 
the  motion  of  her  speed.  Foresail  and  aft  were  at  their 
gentle  strain;  her  shadow  rippled  fragmentarily  along 
to  the  silver  rivulet  and  boat  of  her  Avake.  Straight  she 
flew  to  the  ball  of  fire  now  at  spring  above  the  waters, 
and  raining  red  gold  on  the  line  of  her  bows.  By  com- 
parison she  was  an  ugly  yawl,  and  as  the  creature  of 
wind  and  wave  beautiful. 

They  passed  an  English  defensive  fort,  and  spared  its 
walls,  in  obedience  to  Matthew  Shale's  good  counsel  that 
they  should  forbear  from  sneezing.  Little  Collett 
pointed  to  the  roof  of  his  mother's  house  twenty  paces 
rearward  of  a  belt  of  tamarisks,  green  amid  the  hol- 
lowed yellows  of  shorebanks  yet  in  shade,  crumbling  to 
the  sands.  Weyburn  was  attracted  by  a  diminutive 
white  tent,  of  sentry-box  shape,  evidently  a  bather's, 
quite  as  evidently  a  fair  bather's.  He  would  have  to 
walk  on  some  Avay  for  his  dip.  He  remarked  to  little 
Collett  that  ladies  going  into  the  water  half-dressed 
never  have  more  than  half  a  bath.  His  arms  and  legs 
flung  out  contempt  of  that  style  of  bathing,  exactly  in 
old  Matey's  well-remembered  way. 

Half  a  mile  off  shore,  the  Susan  was  put  about  to 
flap  her  sails,  and  her  boat  rocked  with  the  passengers. 
Turning  from  a  final  cheer  to  friendly  Matthew,  Wey- 


VISITS   OF   FAREWELL  399 

burn  at  the  rudder  espied  one  of  those  unenfranchised 
ladies  in  marine  uniform  issuing  through  the  tent-slit. 
She  stepped  firmly,  as  into  her  element.  A  plain  look 
at  her,  and  a  curious  look,  and  an  intent  look  fixed  her 
fast,  and  ran  the  shock  on  his  heart  before  he  knew  of  a 
guess.  She  waded,  she  dipped  ;  a  head  across  the  breast 
of  the  waters  was  observed:  this  one  of  them  could 
swim.  She  was  making  for  sea,  a  stone's  throw  off  the 
direction  of  the  boat.  Before  his  wits  had  grasped  the 
certainty  possessing  them,  fiery  envy  and  desire  to  be 
alongside  her  set  his  fingers  fretting  at  buttons.  A 
grand  smooth  swell  of  the  waters  lifted  her,  and  her 
head  rose  to  see  her  world.  She  sank  down  the  valley, 
where  another  wave  was  mounding  for  its  onward  roll : 
a  gentle  scene  of  the  ySavr'  imovra  of  Weyburn's  favourite 
Sophoclean  chorus.  Now  she  was  given  to  him  —  it  was 
she.  How  could  it  ever  have  been  any  other !  He 
handed  his  watch  to  little  Collett,  and  gave  him  the 
ropes,  pitched  coat  and  waistcoat  on  his  knees,  stood 
free  of  boots  and  socks,  and,  singing  out,  truly  enough, 
the  words  of  a  popular  cry,  "  White  ducks  Avant  wash- 
ing," went  over  and  in. 


400  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

CHAPTER   XXVII 

A   MARINE   DUET 

She  soon  had  to  know  she  was  chased.  She  had  seen 
the  dive  from  the  boat,  and  received  an  illumination. 
With  a  chuckle  of  delighted  surprise,  like  a  blackbird 
startled,  she  pushed  seaward  for  joy  of  the  effort,  think- 
ing she  could  exult  in  imagination  of  an  escape  up  to 
the  moment  of  capture,  yielding  then  only  to  his  greater 
will ;  and  she  meant  to  try  it. 

The  swim  was  a  holiday  ;  all  was  new  —  nothing  came 
to  her  as  the  same  old  thing  since  she  took  her  plunge ; 
she  had  a  sea-mind  —  had  left  her  earth-mind  ashore. 
The  swim,  and  Matey  Weyburn  pursuing  her,  passed  up 
out  of  happiness,  through  the  spheres  of  delirium,  into 
the  region  where  our  life  is  as  we  would  have  it  be :  a 
home  holding  the  quiet  of  the  heavens,  if  but  midway 
thither,  and  a  home  of  delicious  animation  of  the  whole 
frame,  equal  to  wings. 

He  drew  on  her,  but  he  was  distant,  and  she  waved  an 
arm.  The  shout  of  her  glee  sprang  from  her :  "Matey!" 
He  waved ;  she  heard  his  voice.  Was  it  her  name  ?  He 
was  not  so  drunken  of  the  sea  as  she :  he  had  not  leapt 
out  of  bondage  into  buoyant  Avaters,  into  a  youth  without 
a  blot,  without  an  aim,  satisfied  in  tasting;  the  dream  of 
the  long  felicity. 


A  MARINE  DUET  401 

A  thought  brushed  by  her :  How  if  he  were  absent  ? 

It  relaxed  her  stroke  of  arms  and  legs.  He  had 
doubled  the  salt  sea's  rapture,  and  he  had  shackled  its 
gift  of  freedom.  She  turned  to  float,  gathering  her  knees 
for  the  funny  sullen  kick,  until  she  heard  him  near.  At 
once  her  stroke  was  renewed  vigorously ;  she  had  the 
foot  of  her  pursuer,  and  she  called,  "Adieu,  Matey 
Weyburn ! " 

Her  bravado  deserved  a  swifter  humiliation  than  he 
was  able  to  bring  down  on  her  :  she  swam  bravely  ;  and 
she  was  divine  to  see  ahead  as  well  as  overtake. 

Darting  to  the  close  parallel,  he  said :  "  What  sea-nymph 
sang  me  my  name  ?  " 

She  smote  a  pang  of  her  ecstasy  into  him:  ''Ask 
mine ! " 

"  Browny ! " 

They  swam ;  neither  of  them  panted ;  their  heads  were 
water-flowers  that  spoke  at  ease. 

"We've  run  from  school;  we  won't  go  back." 

"  We've  a  kingdom." 

"  Here's  a  big  wave  going  to  be  a  wall." 

"  Off  he  rolls." 

"  He's  like  the  High  Brent  broad  meadow  under  Elling 
Wood." 

"  Don't  let  Miss  Vincent  hear  you." 

"  They're  not  waves ;  they're  sighs  of  the  deep." 

"  A  poet  I  swim  with  !  He  fell  into  the  deep  in  his 
first  of  May  morning  ducks.     We  used  to  expect  him." 


l^TATF. 

0ANTA  ri.: 


-^ff  ^^ 


402  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  I  never  expected  to  owe  them  so  much." 

Pride  of  the  swimmer  and  the  energy  of  her  joy  em- 
braced Aminta,  that  she  might  nerve  all  her  powers  to 
gain  the  half-minute  for  speaking  at  her  ease. 

"  Who'd  have  thought  of  a  morning  like  this  ?  You 
were  looked  for  last  night." 

"  A  lucky  accident  to  our  coach.  I  made  friends  with 
the  skipper  of  the  yawl." 

"  I   saw  the  boat.     Who  could  have  dreamed ? 

Anything  may  happen  now." 

For  nothing  further  would  astonish  her,  as  he  rightly 
understood  her ;  but  he  said  :  "  You're  prepared  for  the 
rites  ?     Old  Triton  is  ready." 

"  Float,  and  tell  me." 

They  spun  about  to  lie  on  their  backs.  Her  right  hand, 
at  piano- work  of  the  octave-shake,  was  touched  and  taken, 
and  she  did  not  pull  it  away.     Her  eyelids  fell. 

"  Old  Triton  waits." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  We're  going  to  him." 

"Yes?" 

"  Customs  of  the  sea." 

"  Tell  me." 

"He  joins  hands.  We  say,  ^Browny  —  Matey,'  and 
it's  done." 

She  splashed,  crying  "  Swim,"  and  after  two  strokes, 
"You  want  to  beat  me.  Matey  Weyburn." 

"  How  ?  " 


A  MARINE  DUET  403 

"Not  fair!" 

"  Say  what." 

"  Take  my  breath.  But,  yes !  we'll  be  happy  in  our 
own  way.  We're  sea-birds.  We've  said  adieu  to  land. 
Not  to  one  another.     We  shall  be  friends  ?  " 

"  Always." 

"  This  is  going  to  last  ?  " 

"Ever  so  long." 

They  had  a  spell  of  steady  swimming,  companionship 
to  inspirit  it.  Browny  was  allowed  place  a  little  fore- 
most, and  she  guessed  not  wherefore,  in  her  flattered 
emulation. 

"  I'm  bound  for  France." 

"  Slew  a  point  to  the  right :  south-east  by  south.  We 
shall  hit  Dunquerque." 

"  I  don't  mean  to  be  picked  up  by  boats." 

"  We'll  decline." 

"You  see  I  can  swim." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it." 

They  stopped  their  talk  —  for  the  pleasure  of  the 
body  to  be  savoured  in  the  mind,  they  thought ;  and  so 
took  Nature's  counsel  to  rest  their  voices  awhile. 

Considering  that  she  had  not  been  used  of  late  to  long 
immersions,  and  had  not  broken  her  fast,  and  had  talked 
much,  for  a  sea-nymph,  Weyburn  spied  behind  him  on  a 
shore  seeming  flat  down,  far  removed. 

"France  next  time,"  he  said:  "we'll  face  to  the 
rear." 


404  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"  Now  ? "  said  she,  big  with  blissful  conceit  of  her 
powers  and  incredulous  of  such  a  command  from  him. 

"  You  may  be  feeling  tired  presently." 

The  musical  sincerity  of  her  "  Oh  no,  not  I !  "  sped 
through  his  limbs ;  he  had  a  willingness  to  go  onward 
still  some  way. 

But  his  words  fastened  the  heavy  land  on  her  spirit, 
knocked  at  the  habit  of  obedience.  Her  stroke  of  the 
arms  paused.  She  inclined  to  his  example,  and  he  set  it 
shoreward. 

They  swam  silently,  high,  low,  creatures  of  the  smooth 
green  roller.     He  heard  the  water-song  of  her  swimming. 

She,  though  breathing  equably  at  the  nostrils,  lay 
deep.  The  water  shocked  at  her  chin,  and  curled  round 
the  under  lip.  He  had  a  faint  anxiety ;  and,  not  so 
sensible  of  a  weight  in  the  sight  of  land  as  she  was,  he 
chattered,  by  snatches,  rallied  her,  encouraged  her  to 
continue  sportive  for  this  once,  letting  her  feel  it  was 
but  a  once  and  had  its  respected  limit  with  him.  So  it 
was  not  out  of  the  world. 

Ah,  friend  Matey !  And  that  was  right  and  good  on 
land;  but  lightness  and  goodness  flung  earth's  shadow 
across  her  brilliancy  here,  and  any  stress  on  "  this  once  " 
withdrew  her  liberty  to  revel  in  it,  putting  an  end  to  a 
perfect  holiday ;  and  silence,  too,  might  hint  at  fatigue. 
She  began  to  think  her  muteness  lost  her  the  bloom  of 
the  enchantment,  robbing  her  of  her  heavenly  frolic  lead, 
since  friend  Matey  resolved  to  be  as  eminently  good  in 


A   MARINE   DUET  405 

salt  water  as  on  land.  Was  he  unaware  that  they  were 
boy  and  girl  again  ?  —  she  washed  pure  of  the  interven- 
ing years,  new  born,  by  blessing  of  the  sea;  worthy  of 
him  here  !  —  that  is,  a  swimmer  worthy  of  him,  his  com- 
rade in  salt  water. 

"  You're  satisfied  I  swim  well  ?  "  she  said. 

"  It  would  go  hard  with  me  if  we  raced  a  long  race." 

"  I  really  was  out  for  France." 

"  I  was  ordered  to  keep  you  for  England." 

She  gave  him  Browny's  eyes. 

"  We've  turned  our  backs  on  Triton." 

"The  ceremony  was  performed." 

"When?" 

"  The  minute  I  spoke  of  it  and  you  splashed." 

"  Matey  !  Matey  Weyburn  !  " 

"Browny  Farrell ! " 

"  Oh,  Matey  !  slie's  gone !  " 

"  She's  here." 

"  Try  to  beguile  me,  then,  that  our  holiday's  not  over. 
You  won't  forget  this  hour  ?  " 

"  No  time  of  mine  on  earth  will  live  so  brightly  for  me." 

"  I  have  never  had  one  like  it.  I  could  go  under  and 
be  happy;  go  to  old  Triton,  and  wait  for  you;  teach 
him  to  speak  your  proper  Christian  name.  He  hasn't 
heard  it  yet,  —  heard  '  Matey  '  —  never  yet  has  been 
taught '  Matthew.' " 

"  Aminta ! " 

"  Oh,  my  friend !  my  dear ! "  she  cried,  in  the  voice  of 


406  LORD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

the  wounded,  like  a  welling  of  her  blood  :  "  ray  strength 
will  leave  me.  I  may  play  —  not  you :  you  play  with  a 
weak  vessel.  Swim,  and  be  quiet.  How  far  do  you 
count  it  ?  " 

*'  Under  a  quarter  of  a  mile ." 

"  Don't  imagine  me  tired." 

"If  you  are,  hold  on  to  me." 

"  Matey,  I'm  for  a  dive." 

He  went  after  the  ball  of  silver  and  bubbles,  and  they 
came  up  together.  There  is  no  history  of  events  below 
the  surface. 

She  shook  off  her  briny  blindness,  and  settled  to  the 
full  sweep  of  the  arms,  quite  silent  now.  Some  emotion, 
or  exhaustion  from  the  strain  of  the  swimmer's  breath 
in  speech,  stopped  her  playfulness.  The  pleasure  she 
still  knew  was  a  recollection  of  the  outward  swim,  when 
she  had  been  privileged  to  cast  away  sex  with  the  push 
from  earth,  as  few  men  will  believe  that  women,  beauti- 
ful women,  ever  wish  to  do  ;  and  often  and  ardently 
during  the  run  ahead  they  yearn  for  Nature  to  grant 
them  their  one  short  holiday  truce. 

But  Aminta  forgave  him  for  bringing  earth  so  close  to 
her  when  there  was  yet  a  space  of  salt  water  between 
her  and  shore ;  and  she  smiled  at  times,  that  he  might 
not  think  she  was  looking  grave. 


THE  PLIGHTING  407 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE    PLIGHTING 

They  touched  sand  at  the  first  draw  of  the  ebb;  and 
this  being  earth,  Matey  addressed  himself  to  the  guar- 
dian and  absolving  genii  of  matter-of-fact  by  saying, 
"Did  you  inquire  about  the  tides?" 

Her  head  shook,  stunned  with  what  had  passed.  She 
waded  to  shore,  after  motioning  for  him  to  swim  on. 

Men,  in  the  comparison  beside  their  fair  fellows,  are 
so  little  sensationally  complex  that  his  one  feeling  now, 
as  to  what  had  passed,  was  relief  at  the  idea  of  his  pres- 
ence having  been  a  warrantable  protectorship.  Aminta's 
return  from  sea-nymph  to  the  state  of  woman  crossed 
annihilation  on  the  way  back  to  sentience,  and  picked-up 
meaningless  pebbles  and  shells  of  life,  between  the  sea's 
verge  and  her  tent's  shelter :  hardly  her  own  life  to  her 
understanding  yet,  except  for  the  hammer  Memory 
became  to  strike  her  insensible,  at  here  and  there  a 
recollected  word  or  nakedness  of  her  soul.  What  had 
she  done,  what  revealed,  to  shiver  at  for  the  remainder 
of  her  days ! 

He  SAvam  along  the  shore  to  where  the  boat  was 
paddled,  spying  at  her  bare  feet  on  the  sand,  her 
woman's  form.  He  waved,  and  the  figure  in  the  striped 
tunic  and  trousers  waved  her  response,  apparently  the 
same  person  he  had  quitted, 


408  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Dry  and  clad,  and  decently  formal  under  the  trans- 
formation, they  met  at  Mrs.  Collett's  breakfast-table, 
and  in  .each  hung  the  doubt  whether  land  was  the  dream 
or  sea.  Both  owned  to  a  swim;  both  omitted  mention 
of  the  tale  of  white  ducks.  Little  Collett  had  brought 
Matey  and  his  portmanteau  into  the  house,  by  favour  of 
the  cook,  through  the  scullery.  He,  who  could  have 
been  a  pictorial  and  suggestive  narrator,  carried  a  spin- 
ning head  off  his  shoulders,  from  this  wonderful  Coun- 
tess of  Ormont  to  Matey  Weyburn's  dark-eyed  Browny 
at  High  Brent,  and  the  Sunday  walk  in  Sir  Peter 
Wensell's  park.  Away  and  back  his  head  went. 
Browny  was  not  to  be  thought  of  as  Browny;  she  was 
this  grand  Countess  of  Ormont;  she  had  married  Matey 
Weyburn's  hero;  she  would  never  admit  she  had  ever 
been  Browny.  Only  she  was  handsome  then,  and  she 
is  handsome  now;  and  she  looks  on  Matey  Weyburn 
now  just  as  she  did  then.  How  strange  is  the  world! 
Or  how  if  we  are  the  particular  person  destined  to  en- 
counter the  strange  things  of  the  world?  And  fancy 
J.  Masner,  and  Pinnett  major,  and  young  Oakes  (liked 
nothing  better  than  a  pretty  girl,  he  strutted  boasting 
at  thirteen),  and  the  Frenchy,  and  the  lot,  all  popping 
down  at  the  table,  and  asked  the  name  of  the  lady  sitting 
like  Queen  Esther:  how  they  would  roar  out!  Boys,  of 
course  —  but  men  too !  very  few  men  have  a  notion  of 
the  extraordinary  complications  and  coincidences  and 
cracker-surprises   life   contains.       Here's  an   instance: 


THE   PLIGHTING  409 

Matey  Weyburn  positively  will  wear  white  ducks  to 
play  before  Amiiita  Farrell  on  the  first  of  May  cricketing 
day.  He  happens  to  have  his  white  ducks  on  when  he 
sees  the  Countess  of  Ormont  swimming  in  the  sea;  and 
so  he  can  go  in  just  as  if  they  were  all-right  bathing- 
drawers.  In  he  goes,  has  a  good  long  swim  with  her, 
and  when  he  comes  out,  says,  of  his  dripping  ducks, 
"tabula  votiva  .  .  .  uvida  vestimenta,"  to  remind  an 
old  schoolmate  of  his  hopping  to  the  booth  at  the  end  of 
a  showery  May  day  and  dedicating  them  to  the  laundry 
in  these  words.     It  seems  marvellous! 

It  was  a  quaint  revival,  an  hour  after  breakfast,  for 
little  Collett  to  be  acting  as  intermediary  with  Selina  to 
request  Lady  Ormont's  grant  of  a  five  minutes'  interview 
before  the  church-bell  summoned  her.  She  was  writing 
letters,  and  sent  the  message,  "Tell  Mr.  Weyburn  I 
obey."  Selina  delivered  it,  uttering  "obey"  in  a  de- 
murely comical  way,  as  a  word  of  which  the  humour 
might  be  comprehensible  to  him. 

Aminta  stood  at  the  drawing-room  window.  She  was 
asking  herself  whether  her  recent  conduct  shrieked 
coquette  to  him,  or  any  of  the  abominable  titles  showered 
on  the  women  who  take  free  breath  of  air  for  one  day 
after  long  imprisonment. 

She  said,  "Does  it  mean  you  are  leaving  us?"  the 
moment  he  was  near. 

"Not  till  evening  or  to-morrow,  as  it  may  happen,"  he 
answered.  "  I  have  one  or  two  things  to  say,  if  you  will 
spare  the  time." 


410  LOKD   ORMONT  AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"All  my  time,"  said  she,  smiling  to  make  less  of  the 
heart's  reply;  and  he  stepped  into  the  room. 

They  had  not  long  back  been  Matey  and  Browny ;  and 
though  that  was  in  another  element,  it  would  not  sanc- 
tion the  Lady  Ormont  and  Mr.  Weyburn  now.  As  little 
could  it  be  Aminta  and  Matthew.  Brother  and  sister 
they  were  in  the  spirit-world,  but  in  this  world  the  titles 
had  a  sound  of  imposture.  And  with  a  great  longing  to 
call  her  by  some  allying  name,  he  rejected  "friend"  for 
its  insufficiency  and  commonness,  notwithstanding  the 
entirely  friendly  nature  of  the  burden  to  be  spoken. 
Friend  was  a  title  that  ran  on  quicksands:  an  excuse 
that  tried  for  an  excuse.  He  distinguished  in  himself 
simultaneously  that  the  hesitation  and  beating  about  for 
a  name  had  its  origin  in  an  imperfect  frankness  when  he 
sent  his  message :  the  fretful  desire  to  be  with  her,  close 
to  her,  hearing  her,  seeing  her,  besides  the  true  wish  to 
serve  her.  He  sent  it  after  swinging  round  abruptly 
from  an  outlook  over  the  bordering  garden  tamarisks  on 
a  sea  now  featureless,  desolately  empty. 

However,  perceptibly  silence  was  doing  the  work  of  a 
scourge,  and  he  said:  "I  have  been  thinking  I  may 
have  —  and  I  don't  mind  fighting  hard  to  try  it  before  I 
leave  England  on  Tuesday  or  Wednesday  —  some  influ- 
ence with  Lady  Charlotte  Eglett.  She  is  really  one  of 
the  true  women  living,  and  the  heartiest  of  backers,  if 
she  can  be  taught  to  see  her  course.  I  fancy  I  can  do 
that.     She's  narrow,  but  she  is  not  one  of  the  class  who 


THE  PLIGHTING  411 

look  on  the  working  world  below  them  as,  we'll  say,  the 
scavenger  dogs  on  the  plains  of  Ilium  were  seen  by  the 
Achaeans.  And  my  failure  would  be  no  loss  to  you! 
Your  name  shall  not  be  alluded  to  as  empowering  me  to 
plead  for  her  help.  But  I  want  your  consent,  or  I  may 
be  haunted  and  weakened  by  the  idea  of  playing  busy- 
body. One  has  to  feel  strong  in  a  delicate  position. 
Well,  you  know  what  my  position  with  her  has  been  — • 
one  among  the  humble ;  and  she  has  taken  contradictions, 
accepted  views  from  me,  shown  me  she  has  warmth  of 
heart  to  an  extreme  degree." 

Aminta  slightly  raised  her  hand.  "I  will  save  you 
trouble.  I  have  written  to  Lord  Ormont.  I  have  left 
him." 

Their  eyes  engaged  on  the  thunder  of  this. 
"The  letter  has  gone?" 

"It  was  posted  before  my  swim:  posted  yesterday." 
"  You  have  fully  and  clearly  thought  it  out  to  a  deter- 
mination?" 

"Bit  by  bit  —  I  might  say,  blow  by  blow." 
"It  is  no  small  matter  to  break  a  marriage-tie." 
"I  have  conversed  with  your  mother." 
"  Yes,  she !  and  the  woman  happiest  in  marriage !  " 
"  I  know.     It  was  hatred  of  injustice,  noble  sympathy. 
And  she  took  me  for  one  of  the  blest  among  wives." 

"She  loved  God.  She  saw  the  difference  between 
men's  decrees  for  their  convenience,  and  God's  laws. 
She  felt  for  Avoman.    You  have  had  a  hard  trial,  Aminta." 


412  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"Oil,  my  name!     You  mean  it?" 

"You  heard  it  from  me  this  morning." 

"  Yes,  there !  I  try  to  forget.  I  lost  my  senses.  You 
may  judge  me  harshly,  on  reflection." 

"Judge  myself  worse,  then.  You  had  a  thousand 
excuses.  I  had  only  my  love  of  you.  There's  no  judg- 
ment against  either  of  us,  for  us  to  see,  if  I  speak 
rightly.  We  elect  to  be  tried  in  the  courts  of  the  Sea- 
god.  Now  we'll  sit  and  talk  it  over.  The  next  ten 
minutes  will  decide  our  destinies." 

His  eyes  glittered;  otherwise  he  showed  the  coolness 
of  the  man  discussing  business;  and  his  blunt,  sober 
speech  refreshed  and  upheld  her,  as  a  wild  burst  of  pas- 
sion would  not  have  done. 

Side  by  side,  partly  facing,  they  began  their  inter- 
change. 

"You  have  weighed  what  you  abandon?" 

"It  weighs  little." 

"That  may  be  error.  You  have  to  think  into  the 
future." 

"My  sufferings  and  experiences  are  not  bad  guides." 

"  They  count.  How  can  you  be  sure  you  have  all  the 
estimates?" 

"  Was  I  ever  a  wife?  " 

"You  were  and  are  the  Countess  of  Ormont." 

"Not  to  the  world.  An  unacknowledged  wife  is  a 
slave,  surely." 

"You  step  down,  if  you  take  the  step." 


1 


THE   PLIGHTING  413 

"From  what?  Once  I  did  desire  that  station  —  had 
an  idea  it  was  glorious.  I  despise  it:  or  rather  the 
woman  who  had  the  desire." 

"But  the  step  down  is  into  the  working  world." 

"  I  have  means  to  live  humbly.  I  want  no  more,  ex- 
cept to  be  taught  to  work." 

"So  says  the  minute.  Years  are  before  you.  You 
have  weighed  well,  that  you  attract?  " 

She  reddened,  and  murmured,  "  How  small !  "  Her 
pout  of  spite  at  her  attractions  was  little  simulated. 

"Beauty  and  charm  are  not  small  matters.  You  have 
the  gift,  called  fatal.  Then  —  looking  right  forward  — 
you  have  faith  in  the  power  of  resistance  of  the  woman 
living  alone?" 

He  had  struck  at  her  breast.  From  her  breast  she  replied. 

"Hear  this  of  me.  I  was  persecuted  with  letters.  I 
read  them  and  did  not  destroy  them.  Perhaps  you  saved 
me.  Looking  back,  I  see  weakness  —  nothing  worse. 
But  it  is  a  confession." 

"Yes,  you  have  courage.  And  that  comes  of  a  great 
heart.     And  therein  lies  the  danger." 

"Advise  me  of  what  is  possible  to  a  lonely  woman." 

"You  have  resolved  on  the  loneliness?" 

"It  means  breathing  to  me." 

"  You  are  able  to  see  that  Lord  Ormont  is  a  gentle- 
man?" 

"  A  chivalrous  gentleman,  up  to  the  bounds  of  his 
intelligence." 


414  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

The  bounds  of  his  intelligence  closed  their  four  walls 
in  a  rapid  narrowing  slide  on  Aminta's  mind,  and  she 
exclaimed :  "  If  only  to  pluck  flowers  in  fields  and  know 
their  names,  I  must  be  free!  I  say  what  one  can 
laugh  at,  and  you  are  good  and  don't.  Is  the  interroga- 
tory exhausted?  " 

"  Aminta,  my  beloved,  if  you  are  free,  I  claim  you." 

"  Have  you  thought ?  " 

The  sense  of  a  dissolving  to  a  fountain  quivered 
through  her  veins. 

"Turn  the  tables  and  examine  me." 

"But  have  you  thought ?     Oh!  I  am  not  the  girl 

you  loved.     I  would  go  through  death  to  feel  I  was  and 
give  you  one  worthy  of  you." 

"  That  means  what  I  won't  ask  you  to  speak  at  pres- 
ent; but  I  must  have  proof." 

He  held  out  a  hand,  and  hers  was  laid  in  his. 

There  was  more  for  her  to  say,  she  knew.  It  came  and 
fled,  lightened  and  darkened.  She  had  yielded  her  hand 
to  him  here,  on  land,  not  with  the  licence  and  protection 
of  the  great  holiday  salt  water;  and  she  was  trembling 
from  the  run  of  his  blood  through  hers  at  the  pressure 
of  hands,  when  she  said  in  undertones,  "  Could  we  —  we 
might  be  friends." 

"Meet  and  part  as  friends,  you  and  I?"  he  replied. 
His  voice  carried  the  answer  for  her.     His  intimate  look  I 
had  in  it  the  unfolding  of  the  full  flower  of  the  woman 
to  him,  as  she  could  not  conceal  from  such  eyes;  and 
feeling  that,  she  was  all  avowal. 


THE   PLIGHTING  415 

"It  is  for  life,  Matthew." 

"  My  own  words  to  myself  when  I  first  thought  of  the 
chance !  " 

"But  the  school?" 

"I  shall  not  consider  that  we  are  malefactors.  We 
have  the  world  against  us.  It  will  not  keep  us  from 
trying  to  serve  it.  And  there  are  hints  of  humaner 
opinions:  —  it's  not  all  a  huge  rolling  block  of  a  Jug- 
gernaut. Our  case  could  be  pleaded  before  it.  I  don't 
think  the  just  would  condemn  us  heavily.  I  shall  have 
to  ask  you  to  strengthen  me,  complete  me.  If  you  love 
me,  it  is  your  leap  out  of  prison ;  and  without  you  I  am, 
from  this  time,  no  better  than  one-third  of  a  man.  I 
trust  you  to  weigh  the  position  you  lose,  and  the  place 
we  choose  to  take  in  the  world.  It's  this  —  I  think  this 
describes  it:  You  know,  the  man  who  builds  his  house 
below  the  sea's  level  has  a  sleepless  enemy,  always 
threatening.  His  house  must  be  firm,  and  he  must  look 
to  the  dykes.  We  commit  this  indiscretion.  With  a 
world  against  us,  our  love  and  labour  are  constantly  on 
trial:  we  must  have  great  hearts;  and  if  the  world  is 
hostile,  we  are  not  to  blame  it.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
it  could  not  be  otherwise.  My  own  soul,  we  have  to 
see  that  we  do  —  though  not  publicly,  not  insolently  — 
offend  good  citizenship.  But  we  believe  —  I  with  my 
whole  faith,  and  I  may  say  it  of  you  —  that  we  are  not 
offending  Divine  Law.  You  are  the  woman  I  can  help 
and  join  with.     Think  whether  you  can  tell  yourself 


416  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

that  I  am  the  man.  So,  then,  our  union  gives  us  powers 
to  make  amends  to  the  world  —  if  the  world  should  grant 
us  a  term  of  peace  for  the  effort.  That  is  our  risk. 
Consider  it,  Aminta,  between  now  and  to-morrow:  de- 
liberate.    We  don't  go  together  into  a  garden  of  roses." 

"I  know.  I  should  feel  shame.  I  wish  it  to  look 
dark,"  said  Aminta,  her  hand  in  his,  and  yet  with  a 
fair-sailing  mind  on  the  stream  of  the  blood. 

Eationally  and  irrationally,  the  mixed  passion  and 
reason  in  two  clear  heads  and  urgent  hearts  discussed 
the  stand  they  made  before  a  world  defied ;  neither  of  them 
quite  perceiving  what  it  was  which  coloured  reason  to 
beauty,  or  what  so  convinced  their  intellects  when  pas- 
sion spoke  the  louder. 

"I  am  to  have  a  mate." 

"She  will  pray  she  may  be  one." 

"She  is  my  first  love." 

Aminta's  lips  formed  "Mine,"  without  utterance. 

Meanwhile  his  hand  or  a  wizardry  subdued  her  will, 
allured  her  body.  She  felt  herself  being  drawn  to  the 
sign  and  seal  of  their  plighting  for  life.  She  said, 
"  Matthew !  "  softly  in  protest ;  and  he  said,  "  Never  once 
yet!  "  She  was  owing  to  his  tenderness.  Her  deepened 
voice  murmured,  "Is  this  to  deliberate?"  Colour 
flooded  the  beautiful  dark  face,  as  of  the  funeral  hues 
of  a  sun  suffusing  all  the  heavens,  firing  earth. 


AMINTA  TO   HER  LORD  417 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

AMINTA    TO    HER    LORD 

On  Friday,  on  Saturday,  on  Sunday,  Lady  Charlotte 
waited  for  her  brother  Eowsley  —  until  it  was  a  dimin- 
ished satisfaction  that  she  had  held  her  ground  and 
baffled  his  mighty  will  to  subdue  her.  She  did  not 
sleep  for  thinking  of  him  on  the  Sunday  night.  Toward 
morning  a  lit  of  hazy  horrors,  which  others  would  have 
deemed  imaginings,  drove  her  from  her  bed  to  sit  and 
brood  over  Eowsley  in  a  chair.  What  if  it  was  a  case  of 
heart  with  him  too?  Heart-disease  had  been  in  the 
family.  A  man  like  Eowsley,  still  feeling  the  world 
before  him,  as  a  man  of  his  energies  —  and  aptitudes,  her 
humour  added,  in  the  tide  of  her  anxieties  —  had  a  right 
to  feel,  would  not  fall  upon  resignation  like  a  woman. 

She  was  at  the  physician's  door  at  eight  o'clock.  Dr. 
Eewkes  reported  reassuringly:  it  was  a  simple  disturb- 
ance in  Lord  Ormont's  condition  of  health;  and  he  con- 
veyed just  enough  of  disturbance  to  send  the  impetuous 
lady  knocking  and  ringing  at  her  brother's  door  upon 
the  hour  of  nine. 

The  announcement  of  Lady  Charlotte's  early  visit  in- 
formed my  lord  that  Dr.  Eewkes  had  done  the  spiriting 
required  of  him.  He  descended  to  the  library  and 
passed  under  scrutiny. 

2   E 


418  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"You  don't  look  ill,  Eowsley,"  she  said,  reluctantly 
in  the  sound. 

"  I  am  the  better  for  seeing  you  here,  Charlotte.  Shall 
I  order  breakfast  for  you?     I  am  alone." 

"I  know  you  are.  I've  eaten.  Rewkes  tells  me 
you've  not  lost  appetite." 

"  Have  I  the  appearance  of  a  man  who  has  lost  any- 
thing?" 

Prouder  man,  and  heartier  and  ruddier,  could  not  be 
seen,  she  thought. 

"  You're  winning  the  country  to  right  you  —  that  I 
know." 

"I  don't  ask  it." 

"The  country  wants  your  services." 

"  I  have  heard  some  talk  of  it.  That  Lout  comes  to  a 
knowledge  of  his  wants  too  late.     If  they  promoted  and 

offered  me  the  command  in  India  to-morrow "  My 

lord  struck  the  arm  of  his  chair.  "  I  live  at  Steignton 
henceforth.  My  wife  is  at  a  seaside  place  eastward. 
She  left  the  jewel-case,  when  on  her  journey  through 
London,  for  safety.  She  is  a  particularly  careful  person 
—  forethoughtful.  I  take  her  down  to  Steignton  two 
days  after  her  return.  We  entertain  there  in  the 
autumn.     You  come?  " 

"I  don't.     I  prefer  decent  society." 

"You  are  in  her  house  now,  ma'am!  " 

"  If  I  have  to  meet  tlie  person  you  mean,  I  shall  be 
civil.     The  society  you've  given  her,  I  won't  meet." 


AMINTA   TO   HER   LORD  419 

"  You  will  have  to  meet  the  Countess  of  Ormont  if  you 
care  to  meet  your  brother." 

"Part,  then,  on  the  best  terms  we  can.  I  say  this: 
the  woman  who  keeps  you  from  serving  your  country, 
she's  your  country's  enemy." 

"  Hear  my  answer :  the  lady  who  is  my  wife  has  had 
to  suffer  for  what  you  call  my  country's  treatment  of 
me.  It's  a  choice  between  my  country  and  her.  I  give 
her  the  rest  of  my  time." 

"That's  dotage." 

"Fire  away  your  epithets." 

"Sheer  dotage.  I  don't  deny  she's  a  handsome  young 
woman." 

"You'll  have  to  admit  that  Lady  Ormont  takes  her 
place  in  our  family  with  the  best  we  can  name." 

"You  insult  my  ears,  Rowsley." 

"  The  world  will  say  it  when  it  has  the  honour  of  lier 
acquaintance." 

"An  honour  suspiciously  deferred." 

"That's  between  the  world  and  me." 

"Set  your  head  to  work,  you'll  screw  the  world  to  any 
pitch  you  like, —  that  I  don't  need  telling." 

Lord  Ormont 's  head  approved  the  remark. 

"Nod!"  said  Lady  Charlotte.  "You  won't  get  the 
Danmores,  the  Dukerlys,  the  Carminters,  the  Oxbridges, 
any  more  than  you  get  me." 

"You  are  wrong,  ma'am.  I  had  yesterday  a  reply 
from  Lady  Danmore  to  a  communication  of  mine." 


420  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"It's  thickening.  But  while  I  stand,  I  stand  for  the 
family;  and  I'm  not  in  it,  and  while  I  stand  out  of  it, 
there's  a  doubt  either  of  your  honesty  or  your  sanity." 

"There's  a  perfect  comprehension  of  my  sister!  " 

"  I  put  my  character  in  the  scales  against  your  con- 
duct, and  your  Countess  of  Ormont's  reputation  into  the 
bargain." 

"You  have  called  at  her  house:  it's  a  step.  You'll  be 
running  at  her  heels  next.     She's  not  obdurate." 

"When  you  see  me  running  at  her  heels,  it'll  be  with 
my  head  off.  Stir  your  hardest,  and  let  it  thicken. 
That  man  Morsfield's  name  mixed  up  with  a  sham  Coun- 
tess of  Ormont,  in  the  stories  flying  abroad,  can't  hurt 
anybody.  A  true  Countess  of  Ormont  —  we're  cut  to 
the  quick." 

"We're  cut!  Your  quick,  Charlotte,  is  known  to 
court  the  knife." 

Letters  of  the  morning  post  were  brought  in. 

The  earl  turned  over  a  couple  and  took  up  a  third, 
saying,  "  I'll  attend  to  you  in  two  minutes  " ;  and  think- 
ing once  more,  "Queer  world  it  is  where,  when  you 
sheathe  the  sword,  you  have  to  be  at  play  with  bodkins !  " 

Lady  Charlotte  gazed  on  the  carpet,  eifervescent  with 
retorts  to  his  last  observation,  rightly  conjecturing  that 
the  letter  he  selected  to  read  was  from  "his  Aminta." 

The  letter  apparently  was  interesting,  or  it  was  of 
inordinate  length.  He  seemed  still  to  be  reading.  He 
reverted  to  the  first  page. 


AMINTA   TO   HER   LORD  421 

At  the  sound  of  the  paper  she  discarded  her  cogita- 
tions and  glanced  up.  His  countenance  had  become 
stony.  He  read  on  some  way,  with  a  sudden  drop  on 
the  signature,  a  recommencement,  a  sound  in  the  throat, 
as  when  men  grasp  a  comprehensible  sentence  of  a 
muddled  rigmarole  and  begin  to  have  hopes  of  the  re- 
mainder. But  the  eye  on  the  page  was  not  the  eye 
which  reads. 

"No  bad  news,  Eowsley?" 

The  earl's  breath  fell  heavily. 

Lady  Charlotte  left  her  chair  and  walked  about  the  room. 

"Rowsley,  I'd  like  to  hear  if  I  can  be  of  use." 

"Ma'am?"  he  said,  and  pondered  on  the  word  "use," 
staring  at  her. 

"I  don't  intend  to  pry.  I  can't  see  my  brother  look 
like  that,  and  not  ask." 

The  letter  was  tossed  on  the  table  to  her.  She  read 
these  lines,  dated  from  Felixstowe : 

"My  dear  Lord, — 

"The  courage  I  have  long  been  wanting  in  has 
come  at  last,  to  break  a  tie  that  I  have  seen  too  clearly 
was  a  burden  on  you  from  the  beginning.  I  will  be- 
lieve that  I  am  chiefly  responsible  for  inducing  you  to 
contract  it.  The  alliance  with  an  inexperienced  girl  of 
inferior  birth,  and  a  perhaps  immoderate  ambition,  lias 
taxed  your  generosity;  and  though  the  store  may  be 
inexhaustible,  it  is  not  truly  the  married  state  when  a 


422  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

wife  subjects  the  husband  to  such  a  trial.  The  release 
is  yours,  the  sadness  is  for  me.  I  have  latterly  seen  or 
suspected  a  design  on  your  part  to  meet  my  former 
wishes  for  a  public  recognition  of  the  wife  of  Lord 
Ormont.  Let  me  now  say  that  these  foolish  wishes  no 
longer  exist.  I  rejoice  to  think  that  my  staying  or 
going  will  be  alike  unknown  to  the  world.  I  have  the 
means  of  a  livelihood  in  a  modest  way,  and  shall  trouble 
no  one. 

''  I  have  said,  the  sadness  is  for  me.  That  is  truth. 
But  I  have  to  add  that  I,  too,  am  sensible  of  the  release. 
My  confession  of  a  change  of  feeling  to  you  as  a  wife 
writes  the  close  of  all  relations  between  us.  I  am  among 
the  dead  for  you;  and  it  is  a  relief  to  me  to  reflect  on 
the  little  pain  I  give.   ..." 

"  Has  she  something  on  her  conscience  about  that  man 
Morsfield?"  Lady  Charlotte  cried. 

Lord  Ormont's  prolonged  "Ah!"  of  execration  rolled 
her  to  a  bundle. 

Nevertheless  her  human  nature,  and  her  knowledge  of 
woman's,  would  out  with  the  words,  "There's  a  man!  " 

She  allowed  her  brother  to  be  correct  in  repudiating 
the  name  of  the  dead  Morsfield  —  chivalrous  as  he  was 
on  this  Aminta's  behalf  to  the  last!  —  and  struck  along 
several  heads,  Adderwood's,  Weyburn's,  Randeller's, 
for  the  response  to  her  suspicion.  A  man  there  cer- 
tainly was.     He  would  be  probably  a  young  man.     He 


AMINTA  TO   HER   LORD  423 

woiild  not  necessarily  be  a  handsome  man  —  or  a  titled 
or  a  wealthy  man.  She  might  have  set  eyes  on  a  gypsy 
somewhere  round  Great  Marlow  —  blood  to  blood;  such 
things  have  been.  Imagining  a  wildish  man  for  her, 
rather  than  a  handsome  one  and  one  devoted  staidly  to 
the  fovinding  of  a  school,  she  overlooked  Weyburn,  or 
reserved  him  with  others  for  subsequent  speculation. 

The  remainder  of  Aminta's  letter  referred  to  her  de- 
livery of  the  Ormont  jewel-case  at  Lord  Ormont's  Lon- 
don house,  under  charge  of  her  maid  Carstairs.  The 
affairs  of  the  household  were  stated  very  succinctly  — 
the  drawer  for  labelled  keys,  whatever  pertained  to  her 
management,  in  London  or  at  Great  Marlow. 

"She's  cool,"  Lady  Charlotte  said,  after  reading  out 
the  orderly  array  of  items,  in  a  tone  of  rasping  irony,  to 
convince  her  brother  he  was  well  rid  of  a  heartless 
wench. 

Aminta's  written  statement  of  those  items  were  stabs 
at  the  home  she  had  given  him,  a  flashed  picture  of  his 
loss.  Nothing  written  by  her  touched  him  to  pierce 
him  so  shrewdly;  nothing  could  have  brought  him  so 
closely  the  breathing  image  in  the  flesh  of  the  woman 
now  a  phantom  for  him. 

"Will  she  be  expecting  you  to  answer,  Rowsley?" 

"Will  that  forked  tongue  cease  hissing!  "  he  shouted, 
in  the  agony  of  a  strong  man  convulsed  both  to  render 
and  conceal  the  terrible,  shameful,  unexampled  gush  of 
tears. 


424  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

Lady  Charlotte  beheld  her  bleeding  giant.  She  would 
rather  have  seen  the  brother  of  her  love  grimace  in 
woman's  manner  than  let  loose  those  rolling  big  drops 
down  the  face  of  a  rock.  The  big  sob  shook  him,  and 
she  was  shaken  to  the  dust  by  the  sight.  Now  she  was 
advised  by  her  deep  affection  for  her  brother  to  sit 
patient  and  dumb,  behind  shaded  eyes ;  praising  in  her 
heart  the  incomparable  force  of  the  man's  love  of  the 
woman,  contrasted  with  the  puling  inclinations  of  the 
woman  for  the  man. 

Neither  opened  mouth  when  they  separated.  She 
pressed  and  kissed  a  large  nerveless  hand.  Lord  Ormont 
stood  up  to  bow  her  forth.  His  ruddied  skin  had  gone 
to  pallor,  resembling  the  berg  of  ice  on  the  edge  of 
Arctic  seas,  when  sunlight  has  fallen  away  from  it. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

CONCLUSION 


The  peaceful  little  home  on  the  solitary  sandy  shore 
was  assailed,  unwarned,  beneath  a  quiet  sky,  some  hours 
later,  by  a  whirlwind,  a  dust-storm,  and  rattling  volleys. 
Miss  Vincent's  discovery,  in  the  past  schooldays,  of 
Selina  Collett's  "wicked  complicity  in  a  clandestine 
correspondence  "  had  memorably  chastened  the  girl,  who 
vowed  at  the  time  when  her  schoolmistresSj  using  the 


CONCLUSION  425 

rod  of  Jolmsonian  English  for  the  purpose,  exposed  the 
depravity  of  her  sinfulness,  that  she  would  never  again 
be  guilty  of  a  like  offence.  Her  dear  and  lovely  Coun- 
tess of  Ormont,  for  whom  she  then  uncomplainingly 
suffered,  who  deigned  now  to  call  her  friend,  had  spoken 
the  kind  goodbye,  and  left  the  house  after  Mr.  Wey- 
burn's  departure  that  same  day:  she,  of  course,  to  post 
by  Harwich  to  London;  he  to  sail  by  packet  from  the 
port  of  Harwich  for  Flushing.  The  card  of  an  unknown 
lady,  a  great  lady,  the  Lady  Charlotte  Eglett,  was  handed 
to  her  mother  at  eight  o'clock  of  the  evening. 

Lady  Charlotte  was  introduced  to  the  innocent  country 
couple:  the  mother  knitting,  the  daughter  studying  a 
book  of  the  Botany  of  the  Swiss  Alps,  dreaming  a  dis- 
tant day's  journey  over  historic  lands  of  various  hues  to 
the  unimaginable  spectacle  of  earth's  grandeur.  Her 
visit  lasted  for  fifteen  minutes.  From  the  moment  of 
her  entry  the  room  was  in  such  turmoil  as  may  be  seen 
where  a  water-mill-wheel's  paddles  are  suddenly  set 
rounding  to  pour  streams  of  foam  on  the  smooth  pool 
below.  A  relentless  catechism  bewildered  their  hearing. 
Mrs.  Collett  attempted  an  opposition  of  dignity  to  these 
vehement  attacks  for  answers.  It  was  flooded,  and 
rolled  over.  She  was  put  upon  her  honour  to  reply 
positively  to  positive  questions:  whether  the  Countess 
of  Ormont  was  in  this  house  at  present;  whether  tlie 
Countess  of  Ormont  left  the  house  alone  or  in  company ; 
whether  a  gentleman  had  come  to  the  house  during  the 


426  LORD    ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

stay  of  tlie  Countess  of  Ormont;  whether  Lady  Ormont 
had  left  the  neighbourhood;  the  exact  time  of  the  day 
when  she  quitted  the  house,  and  the  stated  point  of 
her  destination. 

Ultimately,  protesting  that  they  were  incapable  of 
telling  what  they  did  not  know, —  which  Lady  Charlotte 
heard  with  an  incredulous  shrug, —  they  related  piece- 
meal what  they  did  know;  and  Wey burn's  name  gave 
her  scent.  She  paid  small  heed  to  the  tale  of  Mr.  Wey- 
burn's  having  come  there  in  the  character  of  young  Mr. 
Collett's  old  schoolmate.  Mr.  Weyburn  had  started  for 
the  port  of  Harwich.  This  day,  and  not  long  subse- 
quently, Lady  Ormont  had  started  for  the  port  of  Har- 
wich.    Further  corroboration  was  quite  superfluous. 

**Is  there  a  night  packet-boat  from  this  port  of 
yours?"  Lady  Charlotte  asked. 

The  household  servants  had  to  be  consulted ;  and  she, 
hurriedly  craving  the  excuse  of  their  tedious  mistress, 
elicited,  as  far  as  she  could  understand  them,  that  there 
might  be,  and  very  nearly  was,  a  night  packet-boat 
starting  for  Flushing.  The  cook,  a  native  of  Harwich, 
sent  up  word  of  a  night  packet-boat  starting  at  about 
eleven  o'clock  last  year. 

Lady  Charlotte  saw  the  chance,  as  a  wind-blown 
beacon-fire  under  press  of  shades.  Changing  her  hawk- 
ish manner  toward  the  simple  pair,  she  gave  them  view 
of  a  smile  magical  by  contrast,  really  beautiful  —  the 
smile  she  had  in  reserve  for  serviceable  persons  whom 


CONCLUSION  427 

she  trusted,  while  thanking  them,  and  saying  that  her 
anxiety  concerned  Lady  Ormont's  welfare. 

Her  brother  had  prophesied  she  would  soon  be  "  run- 
ning at  his  wife's  heels  " :  and  so  she  was ;  but  not "  with 
her  head  off,"  as  she  had  rejoined.  She  might  prove, 
by  intercepting  his  Aminta,  that  her  head  was  on.  The 
windy  beacon-fire  of  a  chance  blazed  at  the  rapid  rolling 
of  her  carriage-wheels,  and  sank  to  stifling  smoke  at  any 
petty  obstruction.  Let  her  but  come  to  an  interview 
with  his  Aminta,  she  would  stop  all  that  nonsense  of  the 
woman's  letter;  carry  her  off!  —  and  her  Weyburn 
plucking  at  her  other  hand  to  keep  her.  Why,  natu- 
rally, treated  as  she  was  by  Rowsley,  she  dropped  soft 
eyes  on  a  good-looking  secretary.  Any  woman  Avould 
—  confound  the  young  fellow!  But  all's  right  yet,  if 
A\^e  get  to  Harwich  in  time.  Unless  —  as  a  certain  cold- 
fish  finale  tone  of  the  letter,  playing  on  the  old  string 
(the  "irrevocable"),  peculiar  to  women  who  are  novices 
in  situations  of  the  kind  appeared  to  indicate  —  they 
could  see  in  their  conscience-blasted  minds  a  barrier  to 
a  return  home,  high  as  the  Archangelical  gate  behind 
Mother  Eve ;  and  they  are  down  on  their  knees  blubber- 
ing gratitude  and  repentance,  if  the  gate  swings  open  to 
them.  It  is  just  the  instant,  granting  the  catastrophe, 
to  have  a  woman  back  to  her  duty.  She  has  only  to 
learn  she  has  a  magnanimous  hiisband.  If  she  learns 
into  the  bargain  how  he  suffers,  how  he  loves  her! 
Well,  she  despises  a  man  like  that  Lawrence  Finchley 


428  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

all  tlie  more  for  the  *'  magnanimity  "  she  has  the  profit  of 
and  perceives  to  be  feebleness.  But  here's  a  woman  in 
her  good  and  her  bad.  She'll  trick  a  man  of  age;  but 
if  she  respects  him  or  fears  him,  and  if  he  forgives  her, 
owning  his  own  faults  in  tlie  case,  she  won't  scorn  him 
for  it:  the  likelihood  is,  she'll  feel  bound  in  honour  to 
serve  him  faithfully  for  the  rest  of  their  wedded  days. 

A  sketch  to  her  of  Rowsley's  deep  love :  Lady  Char- 
lotte wandered  into  an  amazement  at  it.  A  sentence  of 
her  brother's  recent  speaking  danced  in  her  recollection. 
He  said  of  his  country :  "  That  Lout  comes  to  a  knowledge 
of  Jiis  loants  too  late."  True:  Old  England  is  always 
louting  to  the  rear,  and  has  to  be  pricked  in  the  rear  and 
pulled  by  the  neck  before  she's  equal  to  the  circum- 
stances around  her.  But  what  if  his  words  were  flung 
at  him  in  turn!  Short  of  "Lout,"  it  rang  correctly. 
"Too  late,"  we  hope  to  clip  from  the  end  of  the  sentence 
likewise.  "We  have,  then,  if  you  stress  it,  '^  comes  to 
a  knowledge  of  his  tvants  "  —  a  fair  example  of  the  creat- 
ures men  are,  the  greatest  of  men;  who  have  to  learn 
from  the  loss  of  the  woman  —  or  a  fear  of  the  loss  — 
how  much  they  really  do  love  her. 

Well,  and  she  may  learn  the  same,  or  something  suffi- 
ciently like  it,  if  she's  caught  in  time  —  called  to  her 
face  Countess  of  Ormont,  sister-in-law,  and  smoothed, 
petted,  made  believe  she's  noAv  understood  and  Avon't  be 
questioned  on  a  single  particular;  —  in  fact  she  marches 
back  in  a  sort  of  triumph;  and  all  the  past  in  a  cupboard, 
locked-up,  without  further  inquiry. 


i 


CONCLUSION  429 

Her  brother  Eowsley's  revealed  human  appearance  of 
the  stricken  man  —  stricken  right  into  his  big  heart  — 
precipitated  Lady  Charlotte's  reflections,  and  urged  her 
to  an  unavailing  fever  of  haste  during  the  circuitous 
drive  in  moonlight  to  the  port.  She  alighted  at  the 
principal  inn,  and  Avas  there  informed  that  the  packet- 
boat,  with  a  favouring  breeze  and  tide,  had  started  ten 
minutes  earlier.  She  summoned  the  landlord,  and  de- 
scribed a  lady,  as  probably  one  of  the  passengers: 
"Dark,  holds  herself  up  high."  Some  such  lady  had 
dined  at  the  inn  on  tea,  and  gone  aboard  the  boat  soon 
after. 

Lady  Charlotte  burned  with  the  question,  "Alone?" 
She  repressed  her  feminine  hunger,  and  asked  to  see  the 
book  of  visitors.  But  the  lady  had  not  slept  at  the  inn, 
so  had  not  been  requested  to  write  her  name. 

The  track  of  the  vessel  could  be  seen  from  the  pier, 
on  the  line  of  a  bar  of  moonlight;  and  thinking  that  the 
abominable  woman,  if  aboard  she  was,  had  coolly  pro- 
vided herself  with  a  Continental  passport  —  or  had  it 
done  for  two  by  her  accomplice,  that  Weyburn,  before 
she  left  London  —  Lady  Charlotte  sent  a  loatliing  gaze 
at  the  black  figure  of  the  boat  on  the  water,  untroubled 
by  any  reminder  of  her  share  in  the  conspiracy  of  events, 
which  was  to  be  her  brother's  chastisement  to  his  end. 

Years  are  the  teachers  of  the  great  rocky  natures, 
whom  they  round  and  sap  and  pierce  in  caverns,  having 


430  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

them  on  all  sides,  and  striking  deep  inward  at  moments. 
There  is  no  resisting  the  years,  if  we  have  a  heart  and  a 
common  understanding.  They  constitute,  in  the  sum  of 
them,  the  self-examination,  whence  issues,  acknowl- 
edged or  not,  a  belatsd  self-knowledge,  to  direct  our 
final  actions.  Lady  Charlotte  had  the  heart.  Sight  of 
the  high-minded,  proud,  speechless  man,  suffering  for 
the  absence  of  a  runaway  woman,  not  ceasing  to  suffer, 
never  blaming  the  woman,  and  consequently  it  could  be 
fancied  blaming  himself,  broke  down  her  defences,  and 
moved  her  to  review  her  part  in  her  brother  Kowsley's 
unhappiness.  For  supposing  him  to  blame  himself,  her 
power  to  cast  a  shadow  of  blame  on  him  went  from  her, 
and  therewith  her  vindication  of  her  conduct.  He  lived 
at  Olmer.  She  read  him  by  degrees,  as  those  who  have 
become  absolutely  tongueless  have  to  be  read;  and  so 
she  gathered  that  this  mortally  (or  lastingly)  wounded 
brother  of  hers  was  pleased  by  an  allusion  to  his  A.minta. 
He  ran  his  finger  on  the  lines  of  a  map  of  Spain,  from 
Barcelona  over  to  Granada,  and  impressed  his  nail  at  a 
point  appearing  to  be  mountainous  or  woody.  Lady 
Charlotte  suggested  that  he  and  his  Aminta  had  passed 
by  there.  He  told  a  story  of  a  carriage  accident;  add- 
ing, "She  was  very  brave."  One  day,  when  he  had 
taken  a  keepsake  "  Book  of  England's  Beauties  "  off  the 
drawing-room  table,  his  eyes  dwelt  on  a  face  awhile, 
and  he  handed  it  with  a  nod,  followed  by  a  slight  depre- 
ciatory shrug. 


CONCLUSION  431 

"Like  her:  not  so  handsome,"  Lady  Charlotte  said. 

He  nodded  again.  She  came  to  a  knowledge  of 
Aminta's  favourite  colours  through  the  dwelling  of  his 
look  on  orange  and  black,  deepest  rose,  light  yellow, 
light  blue.  Her  granddaughters  won  the  satisfied  look 
if  they  wore  a  combination  touching  his  memory.  The 
rocky  are  not  imaginative,  and  have  to  be  struck  from 
without  for  a  kindling  of  them.  Submissive  though  she 
was  to  court  and  soothe  her  brother  Rowsley,  a  spur  of 
jealousy  burned  in  the  composition  of  her  sentiments,  to 
set  her  going.  He  liked  visiting  Mrs.  Lawrence  Finchley 
at  her  effaced  goodman's  country  seat,  Brockholm,  in 
Berkshire,  and  would  stay  there  a  month  at  a  time. 
Lady  Charlotte  learnt  why.  The  enthusiast  for  Aminta, 
without  upholding  her  to  her  late  lord,  whom  she  liked 
well,  talked  of  her  openly  with  him,  confessed  to  a  fond- 
ness for  her.  How  much  Mrs.  Lawrence  ventured  to 
say  Lady  Charlotte  could  not  know,  but  rivalry  pushed 
her  to  the  extreme  of  making  Aminta  partially  a  topic; 
and  so  ready  was  he  to  follow  her  lead  in  the  veriest 
trifles  recalling  the  handsome  runaway,  that  she  had  to 
excite  his  racy  diatribes  against  the  burgess  English, 
and  the  pulp  they  have  made  of  a  glorious  nation,  in 
order  not  to  think  him  inclining  upon  dotage. 

Philippa's  occasional  scoff  in  fun  concerning  "  grand- 
mama's  tutor"  hurt  Lady  Charlotte  for  more  reasons 
than  one,  notwithstanding  the  justification  of  her  fore- 
thoughtfulness.     The  girl,  however,  was  privileged,  for 


432  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

she  was  Bobby  Beulew's  dearest  friend;  and  my  lord 
loved  the  boy  —  with  whom  nothing  could  be  done  at 
school,  nor  could  a  tutor  at  Olmer  control  him.  In 
fine,  Bobby  saddened  the  family  and  gained  the  earl's 
anxious  affection  by  giving  daily  proofs  of  his  being  an 
Ormont  in  a  weak  frame  —  patently  an  Ormont,  recur- 
rently an  invalid.  His  moral  qualities  hurled  him  on 
his  physical  deficiencies.  The  local  doctor  and  Dr. 
Rewkes  banished  him  twice  to  the  seashore,  where  he 
began  to  bloom  the  first  week,  and  sickened  the  next  for 
want  of  playfellows,  jolly  fights  and  friendships.  Ulti- 
mately they  prescribed  mountain  air,  Swiss  air,  easy 
travelling  to  Switzerland,  and  several  weeks  of  excur- 
sions at  the  foot  of  the  Alps.  Bobby  might  possibly 
get  an  aged  tutor,  or  find  an  English  clergyman  taking 
pupils,  on  the  way. 

Thus  it  happened  that  seven  years  after  his  bereave- 
ment Lord  Ormont  and  Philippa  and  Bobby  were  on  the 
famous  Bernese  Terrace,  grandest  of  terrestrial  theatres, 
where  soul  of  man  has  fronting  him  earth's  utmost 
majesty.  Sublime;  but  five  minutes  of  it  fetched 
sounds  as  of  a  plug  in  an  empty  phial  from  Bobby's 
bosom,  and  his  heels  became  electrical. 

He  was  observed  at  play  with  a  gentleman  of  Italian 
complexion.  Past  guessing  how  it  had  come  about,  for 
the  gentleman  was  an  utter  stranger.  He  had,  at  any 
rate,  the  tongue  of  an  Englishman.  He  had  the  style, 
too,  the  slang  and  cries  and  tricks  of  an  English  school- 


CONCLUSION  433 

boy,  though  visibly  a  foreigner;  and  he  had  the  art  of 
throwing  his  heart  into  the  bit  of  improvised  game,  or 
he  would  never  have  got  hold  of  Bobby,  shrewd  to  read 
a  masker. 

Lugged  up  by  the  boy  to  my  lord  and  the  young  lady, 
he  doffed  and  bowed. 

"Forgive  me,  pray,"  he  said.  "I  can't  see  an  Eng- 
lish boy  without  having  a  spin  with  him;  and  I  make 
so  bold  as  to  speak  to  English  people  wherever  I  meet 
them,  if  they  give  me  the  chance.  Bad  manners?  Bet- 
ter than  that.  You  are  of  the  military  profession,  sir, 
I  see.  I  am  a  soldier,  fresh  from  Monte  Video.  Ital- 
ian, it  is  evident,  under  an  Italian  chief  there.  A  clerk 
on  a  stool,  and  hey  presto  plunged  into  the  war  a  month 
after,  shouldering  a  gun  and  marching.  Fifteen  battles 
in  eighteen  montlis;  and  Death  a  lady  at  a  balcony 
we  kiss  hands  to  on  the  march  below.  Not  a  bit  more 
terrible!  Ah!  but  your  pardon,  sir!"  he  liastened  to 
say,  observing  rigidity  on  the  features  of  the  English 
gentleman:  "would  I  boast?  not  I.  Accept  it  as  my 
preface  for  why  I  am  moved  to  speak  the  English 
wherever  I  meet  them  —  Uruguay,  Buenos  Ayres,  La 
Plata,  or  Europe.  I  cannot  resist  it.  At  least "  ( lie 
bent  gracefully)  "I  do  not.  We  come  to  the  grounds  of 
my  misbehaviour.  I  have  shown  at  every  call  I  fear 
nothing,  kiss  hand  6i  welcome  or  adieu  to  Death.  And 
I,  a  boy  of  the  age  of  this  youngster  —  he's  not  like  me, 
I  can  declare!     I  was  a  sneak  and  a  coward.     It  fol- 

2    F 


434  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

lows,  I  was  a  liar  and  a  traitor.  Who  cured  me  of  that 
vileness,  that  scandal?  I  will  tell  you:  an  English- 
man and  an  Englishwoman  —  my  schoolmaster  and  his 
wife.  My  schoolmaster  —  my  friend!  He  is  the  com- 
rade of  his  boys:  English,  French,  Germans,  Italians, 
a  Spaniard,  in  my  time.  A  South  American  I  have 
sent  him  —  two  from  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  clever ! 
— ^all  emulous  to  excel,  none  boasting.  But  to  myself: 
I  was  that  mean  fellow.  I  did  —  I  could  let  you  know: 
before  this  young  lady  —  she  would  wither  me  with  her 
scorn.  Enough!  I  sneaked,  I  lied.  I  let  the  blame 
fall  on  a  schoolfellow  and  a  housemaid.  Oh!  a  small 
thing,  but  I  coveted  it  —  a  scarf.  It  reminded  me  of 
Rome.  Enough !  there,  at  the  bottom  of  that  pit,  behold 
me.  It  was  not  discovered,  but  my  schoolfellow  was 
unpunished,  the  housemaid  remained  in  service.  I 
thought,  I  thought,  and  I  thought,  until  I  could  not 
look  in  my  dear  friend  Matthew's  face.  He  said  to  me 
one  day:  '  Have  you  nothing  to  tell  me,  Giulio? '  as  if 
to  ask  the  road  to  right  or  left.  Out  it  all  came.  And 
no  sermon  —  no!  He  set  me  the  hardest  task  I  could 
have.  That  was  a  penance !  —  to  go  to  his  wife,  and  tell 
it  all  to  her.  Then  I  did  think  it  an  easier  thing  to  go 
and  face  death  —  and  death  had  been  my  nightmare.  I 
went:  she  listened;  she  took  my  hand;  she  said:  '  You 
will  never  do  this  again,  I  know,  Giulio. '  She  told  me 
no  English  girl  would  ever  look  on  a  man  who  was  a 
coward  and  lied.     From  that  day  I  have  made  Truth 


CONCLUSION  435 

my  bride.  And  what  the  consequence?  I  know  not 
fear!  I  could  laugh,  knowing  I  was  to  lie  down  in  my 
six-foot  measure  to-morrow,  if  I  have  done  my  duty, 
and  look  in  the  face  of  my  dear  Matthew  and  his  wife ! 
Ah,  those  two!  They  are  loved!  They  will  be  loved 
all  over  Europe.  He  works  for  Europe  and  America  — 
all  civilised  people  —  to  be  one  country.  He  is  the 
comrade  of  his  boys.  Out  of  school  hours  it  is  Chris- 
tian names  all  round  —  Matthew,  Emile,  Adolf,  Emilio, 
Giulio,  Eobert,  Marcel,  Franz,  et  cetera.  Games  or 
lessons,  a  boy  can't  help  learning  with  him.  He  makes 
happy  fellows,  and  brave  soldiers  of  them  without  drill. 
Sir,  do  I  presume  when  I  say  I  have  your  excuse  for 
addressing  you  because  you  are  his  countryman?  I 
drive  to  the  old  school  in  half  an  hour,  and  next  week 
he  and  his  dear  wife  and  a  good  half  of  the  boys  will 
be  on  the  tramp  over  the  Simplon,  by  Lago  Maggiore, 
to  my  uncle's  house  in  Milan  for  a  halt.  I  go  to 
Matthew  before  I  see  my  own  people." 

He  swept  another  bow  of  apology,  chiefly  to  Philippa, 
as  representative  of  the  sex  claiming  homage. 

Lord  Ormont  had  not  greatly  relished  certain  of  the 
flowery  phrases  employed  by  this  young  foreigner. 
"Truth  his  bride,"  was  damnable;  and  if  a  story  had 
to  be  told,  he  liked  it  plain,  without  jerks  and  evolu- 
tions. Many  offences  to  our  taste  have  to  be  overlooked 
in  a  foreigner  —  an  Italian!  considered,  before  they 
were    proved  in    fire,    a    people  classed   by   nature    as 


436  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

operatic  declaimers.  Bobby  had  shown  himself  on  the 
road  out  to  Bern  a  difficult  boy,  and  stupefyingly  igno- 
rant. My  lord  had  two  or  three  ideas  working  to  cloudy 
combination  in  his  head  when  he  put  a  question,  refer- 
ring to  the  management  of  the  dormitories  at  the  school. 
Whereupon  the  young  Italian  introduced  himself  as 
Giulio  Calliani,  and  proposed  a  drive  to  inspect  the  old 
school,  with  its  cricket  and  football  fields,  lake  for  row- 
ing and  swimming,  gymnastic  fixtures,  carpenter's  shed, 
bowling  alley,  and  four  European  languages  in  the  air 
by  turns  daily, —  and  the  boys  too,  all  the  boys  rosy  and 
jolly,  according  to  the  last  report  received  of  them  from 
his  friend  Matthew. 

Enthusiasm  struck  and  tightened  the  loose  chord  of 
scepticism  in  Lord  Ormont;  somewhat  as  if  a  dancing 
beggar  had  entered  a  kennel-dog's  yard,  designing  to 
fascinate  the  faithful  beast.  It  is  a  chord  of  one  note, 
that  is  tightened  to  sound  by  the  violent  summons  to 
accept,  which  is  a  provocation  to  deny.  At  the  same 
time,  the  enthusiast's  dance  is  rather  funny:  he  is  not 
an  ordinary  beggar;  to  see  him  trip  himself  in  his  dance 
would  be  rather  funnier.  This  is  to  say,  inspect  the 
trumpeted  school  and  retire  politely.  My  lord  knew 
the  Bern  of  frequent  visits:  the  woman  was  needed 
beside  him  to  inspire  a  feeling  for  scenic  mountains. 
Philippa's  admiration  of  them  was  like  a  new-pressed 
grape-juice  after  a  draught  of  the  ripe  vintage.  More- 
over, Bobby  was  difficult;   the  rejected  of  his  English 


CONCLUSION  437 

schools  was  a  stiff  Ormont  at  lessons,  a  wheezy  Benlew 
in  the  playground:  exactly  the  reverse  of  what  should 
have  been.  A  school  of  four  languages  in  bracing  air, 
if  a  school  with  healthy  dormitories,  and  a  school  of  the 
trained  instincts  we  call  gentlemanly,  might  suit  Master 
Bobby  for  a  trial.  An  eye  on  the  boys  of  the  school 
would  see  in  a  minute  what  stuff  they  were  made  of. 
Supposing  this  young  Italianissimo  with  the  English 
tongue  to  be  tolerably  near  the  mark,  with  a  deduction 
of  two-thirds  of  the  enthusiasm,  Bobby  might  stop  at 
the  school  as  long  as  his  health  held  out  or  the  master 
would  keep  him.  Supposing  half  a  dozen  things  and 
more,  the  meeting  with  this  Mr.  Calliani  was  a  lucky 
accident.  But  lucky  accidents  are  anticipated  only  by 
fools. 

Lord  Ormont  consented  to  visit  the  school.  He 
handed  his  card  and  invited  his  guest;  he  had  a  carriage 
in  waiting  for  the  day,  he  said;  and  obedient  to  Lady 
Charlotte's  injunctions,  he  withheld  Philippa  from  the 
party.  She  and  her  maid  were  to  pass  the  five  hours 
of  his  absence  in  efforts  to  keep  their  monkey  Bobby 
out  of  the  well  of  the  solicitous  bears. 

My  lord  left  his  carriage  at  the  inn  of  the  village 
lying  below  the  school-house  on  a  green  height.  The 
young  enthusiast  was  dancing  him  into  the  condition  of 
livid  taciturnity,  which  could,  if  it  would,  flash  out 
pungent  epigrams  on  the  actual  world  at  operatic 
recitativo. 


438  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

"There's  the  old  school-clock!  Just  in  time  for  the 
half-hour  before  dinner,"  said  Calliani,  chattering  two 
hundred  to  the  minute  of  the  habits  and  usages  of  the 
school,  and  how  all  had  meals  together  —  the  master, 
his   wife,  the  teachers,  the   boys.     "And  she  —  as   for 

her !  "     Calliani  kissed  fingers  up  to  the  farthest 

skies:  into  which  a  self-respecting  sober  Northerner  of 
the  Isles  could  imagine  himself  to  kick  the  enthusiastic 
gesticulator,  if  it  were  polite  to  do  so. 

The  school-house  faced  the  master's  dwelling-house; 
and  these,  with  a  block  of  building,  formed  a  three- 
sided  inclosure,  like  barracks.  Forth  from  the  school- 
house  door  burst  a  dozen  shouting  lads,  as  from  a  charge 
of  powder,  or  wasps  from  the  hole  of  their  nest.  Out 
they  poured  whizzing;  and  the  frog  he  leaped,  and 
pussy  ran  and  doubled  before  the  hounds,  and  hockey- 
sticks  waved,  and  away  went  a  ball.  Cracks  at  the 
ball  anyhow  was  the  game  for  the  twenty -five  minutes 
breather  before  dinner. 

"  French  day ! "  said  Calliani,  hearing  their  cries. 
Then  he  bellowed,  "  Matthew !  —  Giulio !  " 

A  lusty  inversion  of  the  order  of  the  names,  and  an 
Oberland  jodel  returned  his  hail.  The  school  retreating 
caught  up  the  Alpine  cry  in  the  distance.  Here  were 
lungs!     Here  were  sprites! 

Lord  Ormont  bethought  him  of  the  name  of  the  mas- 
ter. "Mr.  Matthew,  I  think  you  said,  sir?"  he  was 
observing  to  Calliani,  as  the  master  in  his  crowd  came 


CONCLUSION  439 

nearer;  and  Calliani  replied:  ''His  Christian  name. 
But  if  the  boys  are  naughty  boys,  it  is  not  the  privilege. 
Mr.  Weyburn." 

There  was  not  any  necessity  to  pronounce  that  name. 
Calliani  spoke  it,  on  the  rush  to  his  friend. 

Lord  Ormont  and  Weyburn  advanced  the  steps  to  the 
meeting.     Neither  of  them  flinched  in  eye  or  limb. 

At  a  corridor  window  of  the  dwelling-house  a  lady 
stood.  Her  colour  was  the  last  of  a  summer  day  over 
Western  seas :  her  thought,  "  It  has  come !  "  Her  mind 
was  in  her  sight;  her  other  powers  were  frozen. 

The  two  men  conversed.     There  was  no  gesture. 

This  is  one  of  the  lightning  moments  of  life  for  the 
woman  who  looks  on  the  meeting  of  the  two  men 
between  whom  her  person  has  been  in  dispute  —  may 
still  be;  her  soul  being  with  one,  and  that  one  dearer 
than  the  blood  of  her  body,  imperilled  by  her. 

She  could  ask  why  she  exists,  if  a  question  were  in 
her  grasp.  She  would  ask  for  the  meaning  of  the  gift 
of  beauty  to  the  woman,  making  her  desirable  to  those 
two  men,  making  her  a  cause  of  strife,  a  thing  of  doom. 
An  incessant  clamour  dinned  about  her :  "  It  has  come !  " 

The  two  men  walked  conversing  into  the  school- 
house.  She  was  unconscious  of  the  seeing  of  a  third, 
though  she  saw  and  at  the  back  of  her  mind  believed 
she  knew  a  friend  in  him.  The  two  disappeared.  She 
was  insensible  stone,  except  to  the  bell-clang:  "It  has 
come;  "  until  they  were  in  view  again,  still  conversing: 


440  LORD   ORMONT   AND   HIS   AMINTA 

and  the  first  of  her  thoughts  to  stir  from  petrifaction 
was,  "Life  holds  no  secret." 

She  tried,  in  shame  of  the  inanimate  creature  she  had 
become,  to  force  herself  to  think;  and  had,  for  a  chas- 
tising result,  a  series  of  geometrical  figures  shooting 
across  her  brain,  mystically  expressive  of  the  situation, 
not  communicably.  The  most  vivid  and  persistent  was 
a  triangle.  Interpret  who  may.  The  one  beheld  the 
two  pass  from  view  again,  still  conversing. 

They  are  on  the  gravel ;  they  bow ;  they  separate. 
He  of  the  grey  head  poised  high  has  gone. 

Her  arm  was  pressed  by  a  hand.  Weyburn  longed  to 
enfold  her,  and  she  desired  it,  but  her  soul  praised  him 
for  refraining.     Both  had  that  delicacy. 

"You  have  seen,  my  darling,"  Weyburn  said.  "It 
has  come,  and  we  take  our  chance.  He  spoke  not  one 
word  beyond  the  affairs  of  the  school.  He  has  a  grand- 
nephew  in  want  of  a  school ;  visited  the  dormitories, 
refectory  and  sheds ;  tasted  the  well-water ;  addressed 
me  as  Mr.  Matthew.  He  had  it  from  Giulio.  Came  to 
look  at  the  school  of  Giulio's  '  friend  Matthew ' :  you 
hear  him !  Giulio  little  imagines  !  Well,  dear  love,  we 
stand  with  a  squad  in  front,  and  wait  the  word.  It 
mayn't  be  spoken.  We  have  counted  long  before  that 
something  like  it  was  bound  to  happen.  And  you  are 
brave.     Euin's  an  empty  word  for  us  two." 

"  Yes,  dear,  it  is ;  we  will  pay  what  is  asked  of  us," 
Aminta  said.     "  It  will  be  heavy,  if  the  school and 


CONCLUSION  441 

I  love  our  boys.  I  am  fit  to  be  the  school  housekeeper ; 
for  nothing  else ! " 

"I  will  go  to  the  boys'  parents.  At  the  worst,  we 
can  march  into  new  territory.  Emile  will  stick  to  us. 
Adolf,  too.     The  fresh  flock  will  come." 

Aminta  cried,  in  the  voice  of  tears  :  "  I  love  the  old  so !  " 

''  The  likelihood  is,  we  shall  hear  nothing  further." 

"You  had  to  bear  the  shock,  Matthew." 

"  Whatever  I  bore,  and  you  saw,  you  shared." 

"  Yes,"  she  said. 

"  Mais,  n'oublions  pas  que  c'est  aujourd'hui  jour 
Francais  ;  si,  madame,  vous  avez  assez  d'appetit  pour 
diner  avec  nous  ?  " 

"  Je  suis,  comme  toujours,  aux  ordres  de  Monsieur." 

She  was  among  the  bravest  of  women.  She  had  a 
full  ounce  of  lead  in  her  breast  when  she  sat  with  the 
boys  at  their  midday  meal,  showing  them  her  familiar, 
pleasant  face. 

Shortly  after  the  hour  of  the  evening  meal  a  messen- 
ger from  Bern  delivered  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Head- 
master. Weyburn  and  Aminta  were  strolling  to  the 
playground,  thinking  in  common,  as  they  usually  did. 
They  read  the  letter  together.     These  were  the  lines : 

"  Lord  Ormont  desires  to  repeat  his  sense  of  obliga- 
tion to  Mr.  Matthew  for  the  inspection  of  the  school 
under  his  charge,  and  will  be  thankful  to  Mr.  Calliani  if 
that  gentleman  will  do  him  the  favour  to  call  at  his  hotel 


442  LORD   ORMONT   AND    HIS   AMINTA 

at  Bern  to-morrow,  at  as  early  an  hour  as  is  convenient  to 
him,  for  the  purpose  of  making  arrangements,  agreeable 
to  the  Head-master's  rules,  for  receiving  his  grand- 
nephew,  Eobert  Benlew,  as  a  pupil  at  the  school." 

The  two  raised  eyes  on  one  another,  pained  in  their 
deep  joy  by  the  religion  of  the  restraint  upon  their 
hearts,  to  keep  down  the  passion  to  embrace. 

"I  thank  Heaven  we  know  him  to  be  one  of  the  true 
noble  men,"  said  Aminta,  now  breathing,  and  thanking 
Lord  Ormont  for  the  free  breath  she  drew. 

Weyburn  spoke  of  an  idea  he  had  gathered  from  the 
earl's  manner.  But  he  had  not  imagined  my  lord's 
great-heartedness  would  go  so  far  as  to  trust  him  with 
the  guardianship  of  the  boy.  That  moved,  and  that 
humbled  him,  though  it  was  far  from  humiliating. 

Six  months  later,  the  brief  communication  arrived 
from  Lady  Charlotte : 

"  She  is  a  widow. 

"  Unlikely  you  will  hear  from  me  again.  Death  is 
always  next  door,  you  said  once.  I  look  on  the  back  of 
life. 

"  Tell  Bobby,  capital  for  him  to  write  he  has  no  long- 
ing for  home  holidays.     If  any  one  can  make  a  man  of 

him,  you  will.     That  I  know. 

"  Charlotte  Eglett." 


8  9  0  4     4  * 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A  001  423  598  o 


